Note: First Few Volume of Target Shots Are Bigger Because We Are Covering News in Detail with Static Linkages Considering Fresher's Preparation Also

Note: First few volume of target shots are bigger because we are covering news in detail with static linkages considering fresher's preparation also. Next coming volumes will be more concise.

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Indian Polity. 12 Star Campaigner 12 Ganga Utsav 2020 12 Good and Vigilant Governance initiative 13 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) 14 American President election 14 Inter-Parliamentary Union 15 Tele-Law 16 Pardoning power of the Governor 16 The Katakey Panel 17 One Rank One Pension completes five years 17 Chief Information Commissioner ( CIC ) 18 Swarna Jayanti Fellowship: DST 18 IMPORTANT JUDGEMENTS ON PERSONAL LIBERTY 19 The Chief Minister 20 What is a Recusal ? 21 Article 32 of the Constitution 21 Additional Judges of High Court 22 High Courts of India 23 Abolition of Privy Purse 24 Cow Cabinet: A new cabinet in Madhya Pradesh 24 National Green Tribunal 24 National Commission for Minorities 25 Government Initiatives for minorities 26 J&K’s Roshni Act 29 Speaker of the Lok Sabha 29 The member of Parliament local area development (MPLAD) scheme 30 PRAGATI 31 President’s powers to pardon- in US, India 32 HC has taken over executive functions 33 One Nation, One Election 34 Right to Recall 35 Anti-defection law 35

Indian Economy. 38 Goods and Services Tax 38 Kevadia Tourism Circuit 38 Doing Business in India Report 2020 40 Mission Sagar - II 40 National Payments Corporation of India ( NPCI ) 42

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National Productivity Council 43 Growth in Manufacturing: PMI 43 Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 44 Centre of Excellence for vegetables Protected Cultivation 44 Food Fortification Scheme 44 Central Vista Redevelopment Project 45 Luhri Hydro Power Project. 46 Differential Licensing on Telecom Sector 46 INDIA MOBILE CONGRESS (IMC) 2020 46 Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge 47 Data Maturity Assessment Framework (DMAF): 47 TRP norms review panel 47 Virtual Global Investor Roundtable 48 Metro Neo 48 Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards 49 Initiatives Aimed at Boosting Start-Ups 50 The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 50 Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) 54 National Food Security Act ( NFSA ) 2013 54 Non-banking financial companies- microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) 55 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms: 56 Four Years of Demonetisation 57 Dobra Chanti bridge 59 UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) 59 A Food Coalition 59 CCI to Probe Google 60 Saffron Cultivation in Northeast 61 Polavaram project 62 Recent Changes in the name of Ministry of Shipping 62 Aerosol fire suppression 62 Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) 63 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana 63 Regulations on OTT and Digital Content 65 Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships in Infrastructure 65 Draft Data Centre Policy 2020 67 Amendment in FCRA Rules 68 The Unique maritime cluster coming up at GIFT City in Gujarat 69 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) 69 Measures on Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 69 IFSC submits its report on Capital Market to IFSCA 71

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International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) 72 Primary vs. Secondary Market 73 LIQUIDITY TRAP 73 PM KUSUM scheme 73 Technical Recession 74 Inflation 75 RBI’s debt restructuring scheme 76 Credit Rating Agency 77 Open Acreage Licensing Policy 77 First Green Energy Convergence Project 78 Reserve Bank Innovation Hub 79 DIPAM 81 First Solar Powered Textile mill in Asia 81 Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) 82 Government Initiatives to Promote Technology 83 Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme ( PM-FME ) 85 Operation Calypso 85 Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project 85 Wind-Solar Hybrid Park 86 Inner Line Permit (ILP) 87 World Fisheries Day ( Oct 21 ) 87 Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation Initiative ( SATAT ) 89 All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) 89 Project Kirana 89 Scheme for Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) 90 Mega Food Park 92 Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor 92 Current Account Surplus 94 URBAN MOBILITY INDIA (UMI) CONFERENCE 95 Negative Yield Bonds 95 Floating Rate Bond 2020 scheme 97 Centralised Investment Clearance Cell 99 Sahakar Pragya 100 Essential Services Maintenance Act 1968 100 National infrastructure investment fund 101 Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting( RE-INVEST 2020 ) 101 Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme 102 NAFED 104 Shahtoot Dam 104

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History of Railways 105

Environment. 107 Tardigrades 107 Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve ( KNPTR ) 107 Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) 107 Mansar Lake Project 108 Aegean Sea 108 Olive Ridley turtles 108 Green Delhi app 109 Ammonia levels in Yamuna 110 First Solar Powered Miniature Train Launched in Kerala 110 Project Lion 111 Panna Biosphere Reserve 112 Smog 115 Pakke Tiger Reserve 115 Ecologically Sensitive Areas 115 Provisions Related to Illegal Wildlife Trade 116 Minks 117 Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 117 Haiderpur wetland 118 Popa Langur 119 Operation Thunder 2020 119 Amur Falcon 119 System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research 119 New Ramsar Sites 120 Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 121 Parambikulam Tiger Reserve 122 Sabin’s Nellore dwarf gecko 123 Deemed Forests 123 Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) 125 Willow warbler 126 White Giraffe 126 Deep Ocean Mission 126 Lotus Silk 127 INDIA CLIMATE CHANGE KNOWLEDGE PORTAL 127 Chang’e-5 probe lunar mission 127 Haiderpur Wetland 128 Pilibhit Tiger Reserve 128 Blue Tide 131 India-Finland sign MoU on biodiversity conservation 132

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Climate Change Knowledge Portal 132

Science & Technology 137 Paramacrobiotus 137 Bulk drug park 138 Public Affairs Index-2020 139 Leishmaniasis 139 Fast radio bursts(FRB) detected in the Milky Way for the first time 139 Brown carbon ‘tarballs’ found in Himalayan atmosphere 140 Habitable Earths or Exoplanet 140 EOS-01, India’s latest earth observation satellite: 141 Geospatial Technology 141 Tinnitus 142 Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate 142 India Mobile Congress (IMC) 142 Thirty Meter Telescope Project 145 Sir C V Raman 146 SVAMITVA Scheme 146 SpaceX-NASA’s upcoming Crew-1 mission 146 Mega Scope 147 Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 147 SpaceX-NASA’s CREW-1 mission 148 Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air-Missiles ( QRSAM ) 148 Ariel Space Mission 149 Kerala Fibre Optic Network Project 149 Leonid Showers 150 WHO Emergency Use Listing 150 Report on efficacy and accessibility of e-learning 151 DISCOVERY OF PULSARS 151 “Team Halo” 152 Education Minister inaugurated Lilavati Awards, 2020 152 Gaganyaan Mission 153 Microwave weapons: 153 Guillain Barre Syndrome 154 Chapare Virus 154 Param Siddhi and Mihir 154 Cord blood banking 155 Australia to temporarily host ISRO satellite tracking facilities: 156 Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS) 156 Sentinel satellite 157 Desalination plants 158

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ISRO’s Shukrayaan 158 Important missions planned by ISRO 159 UMANG International 160 Starlinks 160 Kala-azar 160 MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones 161 M Dwarf Stars 162 Nitrous oxide 162 Brain Fingerprinting 162 Hydrogen fuel 163 Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft 164 Mission COVID Suraksha 164 Different Vaccine: 165 Clinical Trials 165 National Bio Pharma Mission 165 Diabetes 166

International Relation, Organisation & Reports 168 World Cities Day 168 Gulf Cooperation Council 168 International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) 169 India-UAE 170 Nordic Baltic Eight 171 Track 1.5 Dialogue 172 Atal Innovation Mission-Sirius Programme 173 Armenia Azerbaijan Peace Deal 173 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 174 Initiatives by the Government fighting against common water challenges 174 India and Maldives 175 Association of South-East Asian Nations(ASEAN) 176 Key Economic Words 177 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 177 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) 178 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement 178 Global Geoparks - UNESCO 178 BRICS counter-terror strategy 179 Four Indian Cities selected by World Economic Forum 180 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 181 Global Bribery Risk Matrix 181 Inter Parliamentary Union( IPU ) 182 India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol 182

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International Maritime Organisation 182 G20 Summit 183 One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance 183 Great Barrington Declaration 184 Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies 185 SITMEX-20 186 Malaysia hosts APEC Summit 186 Gulf Cooperation Council 187 SDG Investor Map for India 187 Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) 190 Arria Formula 190 ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) 190 Global Innovation & Technology Alliance ( GITA ) 191 Islamic Cooperation countries Or Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 193

Defence & Security 194 Budapest Convention 194 Annual Resolution on Counter-Terror- By India 196 BIO-TERRORISM 197 INS Vagir 198 Border Area Development Programme [BADP] 198 Defence Acquisition Procedure of 2020 (DAP 2020) 200 Portal for Defence Land Management System 200 National Crisis Management Committee(NCMC) 201 Varunastra 201

Social Issues 204 Provisions For Platform Workers 204 Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme 204 India, facing ‘severe water risk’ by 2050: 204 Covid-19 Shri Shakti Challenge 205 Academic Freedom Index (AFI) 205 Atal Beemit (Bimit) Vyakti Kalyan Yojana 206 National Agricultural Education Policy 207 Rabha Tribe 208 National Education Day 11th Nov 208 Interstate Migrant Policy Index ( IMPEX ) 210 Khelo India centre of excellence 210 Global Centre for Traditional Medicine 210 Sarna Code for Tribals 211 Ministry of Textiles launches “Local4Diwali” campaign 211 Report on “Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System” 211 JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 8

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 215 Khelo India 215 Brus Tribe: 216 Report on TB: Step Up for TB 2020 216 National Population Register (NPR) 218 Recommendations for Health Sector 219 Global Prevention Coalition (GPC) for HIV Prevention : 219 Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge 221 National Digital Health Mission 221 Study on ‘status of radicalisation’ 222 Radicalization 222 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 223 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) 223 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) 224 National Nutrition Mission 224 South Asian University 225 Sanitation and Hygiene Fund 225 National Portal for Transgender Persons 225 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 226 Gender disparity in science 227 National Organ Donation Day 27th Nov 228

History Art & Culture 230 Dairy Production in Indus Valley Civilisation 230 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 230 The Miyas of Assam, and their char-chapori culture 231 Avadhanam 231 Kartarpur Corridor 231 Warli Art 232 NEOLITHIC ERA 232 Important Court Scholars 233 Anglo Maratha Wars 233 Swang 233 Theatre forms of India 234 Konark Sun Temple 234 BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE 234 Elements of India in UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 235 Birsa Munda 235 Statue of Peace unveiled in Rajasthan 236

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Thotlakonda Buddhist Monastery 236 Tungabhadra Pushkaralu 236 Laxmi Devi Temple: Hoysala 236 Hindu temple discovered in Pakistan 237 India-International Cherry Blossom Festival of Shillong 237 Lachit Borphukan 238 Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur 238 Constitution day Or Samvidhan Divas 239 Mallakhamb 239 Booker Prize 239

Geography . 241 Why did cyclones give October a miss? 242 Cold Wave 243 National Monsoon Mission ( NMM ) 244 Earthquake Concentrations in Dharchula Region 245 Earthquake 245 National Seismic Programme 246 Cyclone ‘Nivar’ 247 What is La Nina? 247 A Trophic State Index 248

Places in news . 251 Gilgit-Baltistan 251 Farzad-B Gas Field 251 Puerto Rico 252 Blue Belt Programme 252 Pangda village 252 Volcano: Mount Ili Lewotolok 253

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Indian Polity.

Star Campaigner ● The Election Commission revoked the status of a Congress leader as a star campaigner for the party in the ongoing State Assembly by-polls citing repeated violation of Model Code of Conduct while campaigning.

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About Star Campaigner ● It can be described as persons who are nominated by parties to campaign in a given set of Constituencies. ● there are no specific definitions according to law or the Election Commission of India. ● Benefits : The expenditure incurred on campaigning by such campaigners is exempt from being added to the election expenditure of a candidate. However, this only applies when a star campaigner limits herself to a general campaign for the political party he or she represents. ● Revised Norms: Election Commission has revised norms for star campaigners for polls during the Covid-19 pandemic. As per revised norms, a recognised political party can now have only 30-star campaigners(Earlier 40) and an unrecognised (but registered) political party can have 15(Earlier 20).

Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ● What is it ?: Set of guidelines issued by the EC to regulate political parties and candidates before elections. ● Article 324 of the Constitution gives EC the power to supervise elections to the Parliament and state legislatures. ● Objective: Overseeing to conduct free and fair elections, level playing field for all political parties. ● Duration: The MCC is operational from the date that the election schedule is announced till the date that results are announced. ● It is not enforceable by law because the MCC code does not have any statutory backing. ● However, certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Ganga Utsav 2020 ● Ganga Utsav 2020 has begun which celebrates the glory of the National river Ganga. ● The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates the festival every year.

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○ NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council, set up in 2016, which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA). ● The three-day festival aims to promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation ● Ganga was declared as the National River of India on 4th November 2008. Mini Ganga Quest ● Designed to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and explain their role in conservation. ● Ganga Quest is a pan India bilingual quiz to increase public participation in Namami Gange program and encourage the youth. River Ganga ● Longest river of India flowing over 2,510 km of mountains, valleys and plains ● It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River and is joined by other rivers such as the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi and Ghagra. ● River basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world and covers an area of 1,000,000 sq. km.

Good and Vigilant Governance initiative ● “Ideas Box on Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic” has been launched and operationalised both on the DARPG as well as on the MyGov platform. ○ It will crowdsource ideas related to good governance. ● Social media tweets on the “Best Practices in e-governance” have been launched. ● Round table discussion on “Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat” (Vigilant India, Prosperous India) was held. ○ It focused on key issues of preventive vigilance in the pursuit of “Naitik Bharat” (Ethical India) which includes ethics training in public services, a social audit of ethical practices, development of measurable metrics for corruption and disproportionately high impact of corruption on governance.

Central Vigilance Commission About: ● An independent body which is only responsible to the Parliament. ● It is the apex vigilance institution monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organisations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work. ● set up in February 1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by K Santhanam. ● The Parliament enacted the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 conferring statutory status on the CVC. ● Members: a Central Vigilance Commissioner (Chairperson) and not more than 2 Vigilance Commissioners (members).

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● Appointment: appointed by the President on the recommendations of a Committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairperson), the Minister of Home Affairs (Member) and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People (Member). ● Tenure : 4 years

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) ● Launched by: PMBJP is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in 2008 under the name Jan Aushadi Campaign. ● Implementation agency: Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) , under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. ● PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs. ● It will create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity so that quality is not synonymous with an only high price. ● Janaushadhi Week: 1st to 7th March 2020, to inform and educate the general public about the price benefits and quality of the medicines being sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

American President election ● Who can become the President of the United States of America (USA)? ○ A candidate should be: ○ A natural-born citizen of the United States. ○ A resident of the United States for 14 years. ○ At least 35 years old. ● Who can vote ? ○ The US President and Vice President are not elected directly by the people. Instead, they are chosen by “electors” through a process called the “Electoral College”. ● How does the electoral college work? ○ The number of electors from each state is roughly in line with the size of its population. Each state gets as many electors as it has lawmakers in the US Congress (representatives in the House and senators). ● There are 538 electors in total. ● Each elector represents one electoral vote, and a candidate needs to gain a majority of the votes – 270 or more – to win the presidency. ● What happens if no candidate gets a majority? ○ The House of Representatives, the lower house of US lawmakers, will then vote to elect the president. ○ This has happened only once, when in 1824 four candidates split the electoral vote, denying any one of them a majority. ○ With two parties dominating the US system, this is unlikely to happen today.

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US Presidential System ● The US President is both the head of the State and head of the Government. ● The law making is done by the legislature (called the Congress in the US), but the President can veto any law. ● S/he has a fixed tenure of four years and completes it even if her/his party does not have a majority in the Congress. ● The President and the Vice President are chosen by ‘electors’ through a process called the Electoral College. ● The presidential candidate of each of the political parties, chooses a vice presidential running mate. Voters vote on the two—presidential and vice presidential candidates—as a team. ● The President can be removed for conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanor.

Indian Parliamentary System ● There is a President who is the formal Head of the state of India and the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, which run the government at the national level. ● The Constitution of India vests the executive power of the Union formally in the President. In reality, the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. ● The Prime Minister has the support of majority in the Lok Sabha. ● The President is elected for a period of five years. S/he is elected indirectly. This means that the President is elected not by the ordinary citizens but by the elected MLAs and MPs. ● The President can be removed only for ‘violation of the Constitution’ (impeachment procedure).

Inter-Parliamentary Union ● The 206th Session of the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) held from 1st to 4th November,2020. ● established in 1889 as the Inter-Parliamentary Congress. ● Its founders were statesmen Frédéric Passy of France and William Randal Cremer of the United Kingdom. ● Aim : to promote parliamentary dialogue world-wide and works for peace and ooperation among the people. ● Members: As of 2020, the national parliaments of 179 countries are members of the IPU, while 13 regional parliamentary assemblies are associate members. ● Significance: IPU has permanent observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. ● Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland.

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Tele-Law ● Launched by: the Ministry of Law and Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched in 2017 to address cases at pre–litigation stage. ● Connect Lawyers to Litigants: It is a service that uses video conferencing facilities and telephone services to connect lawyers to litigants who need legal advice. This service aims to reach out to the needy especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. ● Common Service Centres: an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Under this programme, smart technology of video conferencing, telephone/instant calling facilities available at the vast network of Common Service Centres at the Panchayat level are used to connect the indigent, down-trodden, vulnerable, unreached groups and communities with the Panel Lawyers for seeking timely and valuable legal advice.

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Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act ● In 1987, ● Enacted to give free and competent legal services to the poor and paved the way for the constitution of National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) and other legal service institutions at the State, district and taluka level. ● Free legal services under LSA Act are available to a person belonging to Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste, woman, child, victim of human trafficking, differently abled person, industrial workman, and person in custody in a protective home and the poor.

Constitutional Provision ● Article 39A : Provides that State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disability. ● Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before the law and a legal system which promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity to all.

Pardoning power of the Governor ● The Supreme Court has recently said that the investigation into the conspiracy behind Ex-PMs assassination in 1991 need not deter the Governor from deciding the plea for pardon of convicts. ● Article 161 deals with the Pardoning Power of the Governor.

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● The Governor can grant pardons, reprieves, respites and remissions of punishments or suspend, remit and commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends.

The pardoning powers defined in the Constitution are- ● Pardon : it means completely absolving the person of the crime and letting him go free. The pardoned criminal will be like a normal citizen. ● Commutation : it means changing the type of punishment given to the guilty into a less harsh one, for example, a death penalty commuted to a life sentence. ● Reprieve : it means a delay allowed in the execution of a sentence, usually a death sentence, for a guilty person to allow him some time to apply for Presidential Pardon or some other legal remedy to prove his innocence or successful rehabilitation. ● Respite : it means reducing the quantum or degree of the punishment to a criminal in view of some special circumstances, like pregnancy, mental condition etc. ● Remission: it means changing the quantum of the punishment without changing its nature, for example reducing twenty-year rigorous imprisonment to ten years.

The Katakey Panel ● Set up by National Green Tribunal to provide a report about the accident i.e. fire broke out at Baghjan oil well of Oil India Limited. Key findings: ● According to the panel, OIL did not have the required consent to establish, operate and carry out drilling and testing of hydrocarbons. ● The panel also reported that the well was deficient in planning and supervising critical operation at the well site.

One Rank One Pension completes five years ● OROP means the payment of the same pension to military officers for the same rank for the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement. ● Before OROP, ex-servicemen used to get pensions as per the Pay Commission's recommendations of the time when they had retired. ● The scheme was in practice since 1947. After 26 years, in 1973, the Indira Gandhi government terminated the scheme. Again the scheme was introduced in 2008 and ran till 2014. ● Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have the highest number of OROP beneficiaries. ● Armed Forces Personnel who had retired till 30th june 2014 are covered under it. ● The implementation: of the scheme was based on recommendation of the Koshiyari committee, a 10 member all-party parliamentary panel formed under the chairmanship of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

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Chief Information Commissioner ( CIC ) ● The roles and responsibilities of the Chief Information Commissioner are defined by the right to Information Act, 2005. ● The act also defines the tenure, terms of service and salaries of the commissioner. ● The Right to Information rules, 2019 were notified in October 2019. Main provisions of the rules: ● The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) will hold office for three years. Earlier it was five years ● Eligibility to become a CIC : ○ Section 12(6) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 says that the CIC and the Information Commissioners shall not be a Member of Parliament. ○ Section 12(5) of the act states that he should a person of eminence in public life, experience in law, science and technology. ● Central Information Commission: It was constituted in 2005. It acts upon complaints from individuals those who are not able to submit information to a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer.

Swarna Jayanti Fellowship: DST ● The Department of Science & Technology (DST) has selected 21 scientists for the Swarna Jayanti fellowship. ● The Swarna Jayanti Fellowships scheme was instituted by the Government of India to commemorate India's fiftieth year of Independence. ● It provides special assistance and support to a selected number of young scientists with a proven track record to enable them to pursue basic research in frontier areas of science and technology. ● The award consists of a Fellowship of Rs. 25000 per month in addition to the salary drawn from the parent Institute along with a Research Grant of Rs. 5 lakh per annum by Department of Science and Technology (DST) for a period of 5 years. ● Scientists selected for the award are allowed to pursue unfettered research with a freedom and flexibility in terms of expenditure as approved in the research plan. ● Scientists selected for the award are allowed to pursue unfettered research with a freedom and flexibility in terms of expenditure as approved in the research plan. ● The project submitted by the selected Fellows are considered for funding by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) as per SERB norms.

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Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) ● SERB is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, established by an Act of the Parliament of India in 2009.

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● It was set up for promoting basic research in science and engineering and to provide financial assistance to scientists, academic institutions, Research and Development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research.

Accelerate Vigyan Scheme: SERB ● Recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), has launched a scheme called Accelerate Vigyan (AV) to strengthen scientific research mechanisms in the country. ● Objective: To give more thrust on encouraging high-end scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to careers in research and knowledge- based economy. Components: ● ABHYAAS Programme: Under it, AV is inviting applications for the winter season (December 2020-January 2021). ○ It is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential PG/PhD students by means of developing their research skills in selected areas across different disciplines or fields. ○ It has two components: High-End Workshops i.e. KARYASHALA and Research Internships i.e. VRITIKA. ○ This is especially important for those researchers who have limited opportunities, access to facilities and infrastructure. ● SAMMOHAN: It has been sub-divided into SAYONJIKA and SANGOSHTI. ○ SAYONJIKA is an open-ended program to catalogue the capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country. ○ SANGOSHTI is a pre-existing program of SERB for the organisation of workshops.

IMPORTANT JUDGEMENTS ON PERSONAL LIBERTY A. Hadiya Judgement 2017 ● Matters of dress and of food, of ideas and ideologies, of love and partnership are within the central aspects of identity. Neither the State nor the law can dictate a choice of partners or limit the free ability of every person to decide on these matters.

B. K.S. Puttuswamy or ‘privacy’ Judgment 2017 ● Autonomy of the individual was the ability to make decisions in vital matters of concern to life.

C. Lata Singh Case 1994 ● The apex court held that India is going through a “crucial transformational period” and the “Constitution will remain strong only if we accept the plurality and diversity of our culture”.

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● Relatives disgruntled by the inter-religious marriage of a loved one could opt to “cut off social relations” rather than resort to violence or harassment.

D. Soni Gerry case, 2018: ● The SC warned judges from playing “super-guardians”, succumbing to “any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father”.

E. Salamat Ansari-Priyanka Kharwar case of Allahabad High Court 2020 ● The right to choose a partner or live with a person of choice was part of a citizen’s fundamental right to life and liberty (Article 21). ● It also held that earlier court rulings upholding the idea of religious conversion for marriage as unacceptable are not good in law.

The Chief Minister ● The Chief Minister is appointed by the governor. ○ Article 164 of the Constitution: provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at its hand to aid and advise the governor. Eligibility: ● After general election to the State Legislative Assembly, the party or coalition group which secures majority in this House, elects its leader and communicates his name to the Governor. The Governor then formally appoints him as the Chief Minister and asks him to form his Council of Ministers. ● When no party gets a clear majority in the State Legislative Assembly, the Governor normally asks the leader of the single largest party to form the government. Tenure: ● Theoretically, the Chief Minister holds office during the pleasure of the Governor. However, in actual practice the Chief Minister remains in office so long as he continues to be the leader of the majority in the State Legislative Assembly. ● The Governor can dismiss him in case he loses his majority support. ● The State Legislative Assembly can also remove him by passing a vote of no-confidence against him. Powers and Functions of the Chief Minister: ● To Aid and Advice the Governor. ● The Chief Minister is at the Head of the Council of Ministers. ● He is the Leader of the House. ● He has to communicate to the Governor all the decisions of the council of ministers relating to the administration of the states. ● All the policies are announced by him on the floor of the house. ● He recommends dissolution of legislative assembly to the Governor. ● He advises the Governor regarding summoning, proroguing the sessions of State Legislative Assembly from time to time.

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What is a Recusal ? ● Judicial disqualification, referred to as recusal, is the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. General Grounds for Recusal: ● Motions to recuse or disqualify judges and other adjudicators have been made for all sorts of reasons. ○ Most commonly such motions are predicated upon a claim that the judge is biased in favour of one party, or against another, or that a reasonable objective observer would think he might be. ● But such motions are also made on many other grounds, including the challenged judge’s: ○ Interest in the subject matter, or relationship with someone who is interested in it. ○ Background or experience, such as the judge’s prior work as a lawyer. ○ Personal knowledge about the parties or the facts of the case. ○ Ex parte communications with lawyers or non-lawyers. ○ Rulings, comments or conduct.

Article 32 of the Constitution ● It is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled. ● Article 32 deals with the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’, or affirms the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred in Part III of the Constitution. ● It states that the Supreme Court “shall have power to issue directions or orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, whichever may be appropriate, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by this Part”. ● Article 32 also empowers Parliament to authorize any other court to issue writs ● Before 1950, only the High Courts of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras had the power to issue the writs ● Article 226 empowers all the high courts of India to issue the writs ● Writs of India are borrowed from English law where they are known as ‘Prerogative writs’ ● Why in news?: A Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde has observed that it is “trying to discourage” individuals from filing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution.

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What is a Writ? ● Writs are written orders issued by the Supreme Court of India to provide constitutional remedies to protect the fundamental rights of citizens from a violation. The types of writs are:

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● Habeas corpus - (related to personal liberty in cases of illegal detentions and wrongful arrests) ● Mandamus - directing public officials, governments, courts to perform a statutory duty ● Quo warranto - to show by what warrant is a person holding public office; ● Prohibition - directing judicial or quasi-judicial authorities to stop proceedings which it has no jurisdiction for; and ● Certiorari -re-examination of an order given by judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative authorities.

What is a Writ Petition? ● A writ petition is essentially a court petition for extraordinary review, asking a court to intervene in a lower court’s decision. ● Under the Indian legal system, jurisdiction to issue ‘prerogative writs’ is given to the Supreme Court and the High Courts of Judicature of all Indian states. ● Parts of the law relating to writs are outlined in the Constitution of India.

Article 226 ● Article 226 of the Constitution empowers a high court to issue writs including habeas corpus, mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo warranto for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the citizens and for any other purpose. ● The phrase ‘for any other purpose’ refers to the enforcement of an ordinary legal right. This implies that the writ jurisdiction of the high court is wider than that of the SC. ● This is because the SC can issue writs only for the enforcement of fundamental rights and not for any other purpose, that is, it does not extend to a case where the breach of an ordinary legal right is alleged. ● The high court can issue writs to any person, authority and government not only within its territorial jurisdiction but also outside its territorial jurisdiction if the cause of action arises within its territorial jurisdiction.

Suspension of Fundamental Rights ● Fundamental rights can be suspended in the case of National Emergency as mentioned under article 352. ● The six fundamental rights under Article 19 are automatically suspended in the case National Emergency is imposed on grounds of war or external aggression which is stated under article 358. ● Article 359 has the clause for suspension of other rights. In that case, a separate notification has to be issued by the President. ● The rights mentioned under Article 20 and 21 can never be suspended. ● Constitutional emergency and financial emergency cannot affect the Fundamental Rights. Additional Judges of High Court ● Appointment: The President can appoint duly qualified persons as additional judges of a high court under Article 217(1).

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● Why?: The additional judges are appointed for a temporary period not exceeding two years when: ○ There is a temporary increase in the business of the high court; or ○ there are arrears of work in the high court ● Eligilibility: The President can also appoint a duly qualified person as an acting judge of a high court when a judge of that high court (other than the chief justice) is: ○ Unable to perform the duties of his office due to absence or any other reason; or ○ Appointed to act temporarily as chief justice of that high court. ● An acting judge holds office until the permanent judge resumes his office. ● Term: The additional judge and acting judge cannot hold office after attaining the age of 62 years.

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High Courts of India ● Every High Court shall have a Chief Justice appointed by the President ● Unlike before, there was no fixed number of Judges who could be appointed for each High Court. Appointed by the president. ● Additional Judges can also be appointed for the clearance of cases pending in the court. But their tenure cannot exceed more than two years ● One thing that must be noted is that no one above the age of 62 years can be appointed as a High Court Judge. There is no uniformity among the High Courts regarding the number of Judges they will have.

High Court Jurisdiction ● The jurisdictions of a High Court are as mentioned below: ● Original Jurisdiction – In such kind of cases the applicant can directly go to the High Court and does not require to raise an appeal. It is mostly applicable for cases related to the State Legislative Assembly, marriages, enforcement of fundamental rights and transfer cases from other courts. ● Power of Superintendence – It a special power enjoyed only by High Court and no other subordinate court has this power of superintendence. Under this, the High Court holds the right to order its subordinate offices and courts the way of maintaining records, prescribe rules for holding proceedings in the court and also settle the fees paid to sheriff clerks, officers and legal practitioners. ● Court of Record – It involves recording the judgments, proceedings and acts of high courts for perpetual memory. These records cannot be further questioned in any court. It has the power to punish for contempt of itself. ● Appellate Jurisdiction – This is for cases where people have risen a complaint about a review of the judgement given by the district level or subordinate court of that territory. This power is further divided into two categories: ○ Civil Jurisdiction – this includes orders and judgements of the district court, civil district court and subordinate court

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○ Criminal Jurisdiction – this includes judgements and orders of the sessions court and additional sessions court. Abolition of Privy Purse ● Article 363-A was inserted in the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971. This amendment is best known for abolition of Privy Purse. ● Article 361B says that a prince, Chief or other person who, at any time before the commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971, was recognized by the President as the Ruler of an Indian State or any person who, at any time before such commencement, was recognized by the President as the successor of such ruler shall, on and from such commencement, cease to be recognized as such Ruler or the successor of such Ruler. This article also mentions abolition of Privy Purse. Cow Cabinet: A new cabinet in Madhya Pradesh ● to conserve and promote cow cattle in the state ● The states such as Assam, Kerala, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and West Bengal have no restrictions on cow slaughter. ● However, some states allow slaughtering of bulls and bullocks. They are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar. ● Bombay High Court on Beef consumption ○ In 2016, the Bombay High Court pronounced a judgement that consumption of beef is legal under Article 21 of Constitution of India. Article 21 is a Fundamental Right to Life. National Green Tribunal ● Established on 18th October, 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010. ● Purpose: Established for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. ● New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal. ● The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. ● Mandate: NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same. ● With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialised environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so. ● Composition: ○ Sanctioned strength: The act allows for up to 40 members (20 expert members and 20 judicial members). ○ Chairman: Is the administrative head of the tribunal, also serves as a judicial member and is required to be a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court of India. ● Selection: ○ Members are chosen by a selection committee (headed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India) that reviews their applications and conducts interviews.

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○ The Judicial members are chosen from applicants who are serving or retired judges of High Courts. ○ Expert members are chosen from applicants who are either serving or retired bureaucrats not below the rank of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India

National Commission for Minorities ● Established by the Union Government under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. ● The Commission works under the Ministry of Minorities. ● In 1993, the first Statutory National Commission was set up and five religious communities viz the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) were notified as minority communities. ● In 2014, Jains were also notified as a minority community. ● The first chairperson of the Minority Commission was Justice Mohd. Sardar Ali Khan. ● The first viceman of the Minority Commission was Shri B.S. Ramoowalia. ● Composition: ○ Total 7 members: Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and five members ○ All of them shall be from amongst the minority communities. ○ The Ministry for Minority Affairs recommends the names to the Prime Minister’s Office. ● Tenure: Each Member holds office for a period of three years from the date of assumption of office. ● Functions of NCM ○ Evaluates the progress of the development of minorities under both central and state governments. ○ It monitors the working of the constitutional laws enacted for the welfare of minorities, both by central and state governments. ○ It makes recommendations for the implementation of protective safeguards for the minorities. ○ Cconducts studies, research and analysis concerning issues related to the socio- economic and educational development of minorities.

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About minority communities of India ● The combined population of the six minority groups is around 19.30 percent of the total population of India. ● Out of six minority communities, Muslim is the largest one representing 14.2 percent of the population with 17.22 crores citizens belonging to the Muslim religion. (As per Census 2011.) ● The population figures of the remaining communities in descending order is given below: ○ Christians – 2.3 percent population (2.78 crores people)

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○ Sikhs – 1.7 percent population (2.08 crores people) ○ Buddhists – 0.7 percent of the population (8.4 million people) ○ Jains – 0.4 percent of the population (4.5 million people) ○ Parsis – Around 57000 people (Not included in the census 2011)

Constitutional provisions ➢ The term "Minority" has not been properly defined anywhere in the Indian Constitution. ➢ But Minority status͟ has been conferred on many groups. ➢ Article 29 : According to the Article 29 of the Constitution, any group living within the jurisdiction of India is entitled to preserve and promote its own language, script or literature, and culture. ➢ Article 30: states that a Minority group whether based on religion or language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institution of their choice.͟ ➢ Article 350-B: ○ The 7th Constitutional (Amendment) Act 1956 inserted this article which provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities appointed by the President of India. ○ It would be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution.

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Government Initiatives for minorities

Prime Minister New 15 Point Programme ➢ This is an overarching programme covering various schemes/ initiatives of different Ministries/ Departments ➢ Earmarking 15% of targets/ outlays for the minorities or specific monitoring of flow of benefits/ funds to minorities or areas with substantial minority population. ➢ The programme is being implemented with the objectives of enhancing opportunities for education of minorities ➢ Ensuring equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment ➢ Improving the condition of living of minorities ➢ Preventing and controlling the communal disharmony

USTAAD ➢ Started in 2015 ➢ Ministry/Department: Ministry of Minority Affairs ➢ Aims at upgrading Skills and Training in preservation of traditional Ancestral Arts/Crafts of minorities. ➢ It envisages boosting the skill of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional ancestral work.

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➢ Under the scheme, assistance will be provided to traditional artisans to sell their products in order to make them more compatible with modern markets. ➢ It is fully funded by Union Government ➢ Applicable for all areas in India

Hamari Darohar ➢ Objective to preserve rich heritage of minority communities in context of Indian culture. ➢ To support curation of iconic exhibitions, calligraphy, research and development, etc. ➢ It is a central sector scheme ➢ Ministry of Minority Affairs will implement this scheme with the help of Ministry of Culture ➢ Documentation of oral traditions and art forms, support to ethnic museums, workshops/ seminars/exhibitions, fellowship for R&D, etc will be provided under the scheme. ➢ Funding is project based and not the State/District-wise. ➢ Digitisation of Medieval documents regarding Mathematics and Medicine is also being done. ➢ For fellowship: A minority having Post graduate with 50% marks and Girl/ women candidates belonging to minority community

Nai Manzil ➢ The central scheme is designed to address educational and livelihood needs of minority communities lagging behind in terms of educational attainments. ➢ It aims to provide educational intervention by giving the bridge courses to the trainees and getting them Certificates for Class XII and X from distance medium educational system. ➢ It seeks to provide trade basis skill training in four courses at the same time of formal education, in field of (i) Manufacturing (ii) Engineering (iii) Services (iv) Soft skills. ➢ It intends to cover people in between 17 to 35 age group from all minority communities as well as Madrasa students.

Strengthening of State Wakf Boards ➢ The scheme envisages to provide assistance for meeting the training and administrative cost of State Wakf Boards ➢ Removal of encroachment from Wakf Properties and also strengthening of Zonal/Regional offices of Wakf Boards.

Nai Roshni ➢ Launched to empower minority women with knowledge, basic techniques and tools which would help them interact with government banks and other institutions on all levels. ➢ The scheme is envisaged to reach out to women through non-governmental organizations who will be provided with financial support

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➢ Implemented through NGOs, civil societies and government institutions. ➢ Conducting leadership development trainings so that women are empowered and emboldened to move out of the confines of home and community ➢ The scheme helps in fighting different social stigmas such as poverty, as women and children are the worst sufferers of poverty. ➢ It empowers the minority women to stand up for their rights and help them grow economically thus strengthening civil society. ➢ Target Group: Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Zoroastrian (Parsi) and Jain women notified under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 come under the target group. ➢ Training Modules under Nai Roshni ○ Advocacy for Social and Behavioral Change ○ Digital-Literacy ○ Educational Empowerment ○ Financial Systems ○ Health and Hygiene ○ Leadership of Women ○ Legal Rights to Women ○ Life Skills ○ Swachh Bharat

Minority Cyber Gram ➢ Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) aims at improving the socio-economic conditions of minorities and providing basic amenities to them for improving the quality of life of the people and reducing imbalances in the identified minority concentration areas. ➢ The MCG programme seeks to introduce digital literacy skills in identified minority clusters in India ➢ The vision of this initiative is to make students of minority communities digitally literate. ➢ Primary objective is to provide hands-on training in computers for the students of Minority Community and to enable them to acquire basic ICT skills that would empower them to: ○ Become digitally literate ○ Actively participate in knowledge based activities ○ Access financial, social and government services ○ Use Internet for communications ○ Reinforcing the learning of trained beneficiaries by providing free Internet access for 30 hours. ➢ Target Group: The initiative intends to cover students of Class VI to Class X belonging to Minority Community notified, as per Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minority Act 1992,

Nai Udaan Scheme

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➢ The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial support to minority students for preparation of Main Examination, who clear Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection commission, State Public Service Commission etc. ➢ It aims to adequately equip them to compete and to increase the representation of the minority in the Civil Services. J&K’s Roshni Act ● Enacted in 2001, the law sought to regularise unauthorised land. ● The Act envisaged the transfer of ownership rights of state land to its occupants, subject to the payment of a cost, as determined by the government. ● The government said the revenue generated would be spent on commissioning hydroelectric power projects, hence the name “Roshni”. ● Further, through amendments, the government also gave ownership rights of agricultural land to farmers occupying it for free, charging them only Rs 100 per kanal as documentation fee. Speaker of the Lok Sabha ● The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of the Parliament of India. ● The speaker is elected generally in the very first meeting of the Lok Sabha following general elections. ● Serving for a term of five years, the speaker chosen from sitting members of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), and is by convention a member of the ruling party or alliance. Election ● Newly elected MPs from the Lok Sabha elect the Speaker among themselves. ● It is desired Speaker should be someone who understands Lok Sabha functions and it is someone accepted among the ruling and opposition parties. ● MP’s propose a name to Pro tem speaker. These names are notified to President of India. President through their aid Secretary- General notifies the election date. If only one name is proposed, Speaker is elected without any formal vote. ● However, if more than 1 nomination are received, a division (vote) is called. ● MPs vote for their candidate on such date notified by President. Successful candidate is elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha until next general election Powers and Functions ● The Speaker of the Lok Sabha conducts the business in house; and decides whether a bill is a money bill or not. ● She/he maintains discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for their unruly behaviour by suspending them. ● She/he also permit the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions such as a motion of no confidence, motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules. ● The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting. ● Further, all comments and speeches made by members of the House are addressed to the Speaker.

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● The Speaker also presides over the joint sitting of both houses of the Parliament of India. Removal from office ● Speaker can be removed by the Lok Sabha by a resolution passed by an effective majority (>50% of total strength excluding vacancies) of the house as per Articles 94 (vacation) and 96 (resolution for removal). ● Speaker is also removed on getting disqualified for being Lok Sabha member under sections 7 and 8 of Representation of the People Act, 1951. ● This would arise out of speaker’s wrong certification of a bill as money bill inconsistent with the definition given in Articles 110 of the constitution. ● When courts uphold the unconstitutional act of the speaker for wrong certification of a bill as money bill, it amounts to disrespecting the constitution deserving conviction under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. ● It is applicable for disqualification of speaker’s Lok Sabha membership under section 8K of Representation of the People Act, 1951. ● However the omissions in the procedure committed by the speaker in the Lok Sabha can not be challenged in court of law per Article 122.

The member of Parliament local area development (MPLAD) scheme ● First launched during the Narasimha Rao Government in 1993. ● What is it? : It was aimed towards providing funds for developmental works for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic facilities including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs recommended by individual MPs. ● Fund entitlement: The MPs then were entitled to recommend works to the tune of Rs 1 crore annually between 1994-95 and 1997-98, after which the annual entitlement was enhanced to Rs 2 crore. ○ The UPA government in 2011-12 raised the annual entitlement to Rs 5 crore per MP. ● Conditions: ○ MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population. ○ In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines. ● Release of Funds: ○ Funds are released in the form of grants in-aid directly to the district authorities. ○ The funds released under the scheme are non-lapsable. ○ The liability of funds not released in a particular year is carried forward to the subsequent years, subject to eligibility. ● The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme.

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● The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works, sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level. ● At least 10% of the projects under implementation in the district are to be inspected every year by the district authority

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Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) ● A village development project launched by Government of India in October 2014, ● What is it ?: under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019 ● The goal: is to develop three Adarsh Grams by March 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016. Thereafter, five such Adarsh Grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024. ● Occasion: The Project was launched on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan. Implementation: ● The scheme will be implemented through a village development plan that would be prepared for every identified gram panchayat with special focus on enabling every poor household to come out of poverty. ● The constituency fund, MPLADS, would be available to fill critical financing gaps. ● The planning process in each village will be a participatory exercise coordinated by the ● District Collector. The MP will play an active facilitating role in this exercise. ● Focus on: SAGY gives focus to community participation. Social mobilization of village community can trigger a chain of other development activities in the village

PRAGATI ● Launched in 2015, ● What is it ?: PRAGATI is the multimodal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation involving central and state governments. ○ An interactive and integrated platform chiefly for addressing the grievances of the common man, while at the same time, monitoring government projects and programmes/schemes. ● Designed by: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) team with the help of the National Informatics Center (NIC). ● It enables the PM to discuss the issues with the concerned central and state officials with full information and latest visuals of the ground-level situation. ● System: It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States). ● Objective: ○ Grievance Redressal ○ Programme Implementation

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○ Project Monitoring ● Technology: The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and geo-spatial technology. ● Significance: ○ It promotes cooperative federalism as it brings together the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States. ○ It is a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real- time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders. ○ It is an innovative project in e-governance and good governance.

President’s powers to pardon- in US, India US President’s power to pardon ● US President has the constitutional right to pardon or commute sentences related to federal crimes. ● This power is granted without limit and cannot be restricted by Congress. ● Similarly, Clemency is a broad executive power, and is discretionary- meaning the President is not answerable for his pardons, and does not have to provide a reason for issuing one. Limitations: ● This power cannot be exercised in cases of impeachment. ● The power only applies to federal crimes and not state crimes.

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Clemency powers of the Indian President under article 72: ● It says that the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence. The President can exercise these powers: 1. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a court martial; 2. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends; 3. In all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death.

Key facts: ● This power of pardon shall be exercised by the President on the advice of Council of Ministers. ● The constitution does not provide for any mechanism to question the legality of decisions of President or governors exercising mercy jurisdiction. ● But the SC in Epuru Sudhakar case has given a small window for judicial review of the pardon powers of President and governors for the purpose of ruling out any arbitrariness.

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● Pardon: means completely absolving the person of the crime and letting him go free. The pardoned criminal will be like a normal citizen. ● Commutation: means changing the type of punishment given to the guilty into a less harsh one, for example, a death penalty commuted to a life sentence. ● Reprieve: means a delay allowed in the execution of a sentence, usually a death sentence, for a guilty person to allow him some time to apply for Presidential Pardon or some other legal remedy to prove his innocence or successful rehabilitation. ● Respite: means reducing the quantum or degree of the punishment to a criminal in view of some special circumstances, like pregnancy, mental condition etc. ● Remission: means changing the quantum of the punishment without changing its nature, for example reducing twenty year rigorous imprisonment to ten years.

Article 161: PArdoning power of Governor ● Similarly, as per article 161: Governor of a State has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law. ● It must be relating to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends. ● Please note that President can grant pardon to a person awarded death sentence. But a governor of a state does not enjoy this power. ● Court Martial: The power of the President to grant pardon extends in cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial but Article 161 does not provide any such power to the Governor.

HC has taken over executive functions ● Why in news?: Andhra Pradesh government recently told the Supreme Court that Andhra Pradesh High Court has “virtually taken over the executive functions of the State”. ● What has the Supreme Court said on the issue? ○ A 2008 judgment of the Supreme Court said “in the name of judicial activism, judges cannot cross their limits and try to take over functions which belong to another organ of the State”. ● Concerns associated: ○ The independence of the judiciary is jeopardised when courts become embroiled in the passions of the day (Observation made by the U.S. Supreme Court). ● What is Judicial Activism? ○ It refers to the court’s decision, based on the judges personal wisdom that do not go rigidly within the text of the statutory passed by the legislature and the use of judicial power broadly to provide remedies to the wide range of social wrongs for ensuring proper justice.

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The Doctrine of separation of Power: ● The Constitution, under various provisions, has clearly drawn the line between Legislature and the Judiciary to maintain their independence in their respective functioning. ● Article 121 and 211 forbid the legislature from discussing the conduct of any judge in the discharge of his duties. ● Articles 122 and 212 prevent the courts from sitting in judgment over the internal proceedings of the legislature. ● Article 105(2) and 194(2) protect the legislators from the interference of the Courts with regards to his/her freedom of speech and freedom to vote.

In Ram Jawaya v. The State of Punjab (1955) the court observed: ● “Our Constitution does not contemplate assumption, by one organ or part of the state, of functions that essentially belong to another.” ● This implies that there should be a broad separation of powers in the Constitution among the three organs of the state (legislative, executive, judiciary) and that one organ should not encroach into the domain of another. If this happens, the delicate balance in the Constitution will be upset and there will be chaos.

One Nation, One Election ● It refers to holding elections to Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, Panchayats and Urban local bodies simultaneously, once in five year. ● One Voter List: Only one voter list should be used for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and other elections. ● Advantages: A common electoral roll will save an enormous amount of effort and expenditure as the preparation of a separate voters list causes duplication of the effort and the expenditure. Benefits of One nation, One election : ● Governance and consistency: The ruling parties will be able to focus on legislation and governance rather than having to be in campaign mode forever. ● Reduced Expenditure of Money and Administration. ● Continuity in policies and programmes. ● Efficiency of Governance: Populist measures by governments will reduce. ● The impact of black money on the voters will be reduced as all elections are held at a time.

Constitutional provisions related to simultaneous Elections ● Article 83 stipulates that Lok Sabha shall have a normal term of 5 years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer. ● Article 85 states that President of India has the power to dissolve the Lok Sabha on the advice of the Union Cabinet. ● Article 172 lays down the term for the Legislative Assemblies as five years.

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● Article 174 is states that Governor has the power to dissolve the state assembly on the advice of the state Cabinet.

All India Presiding Officers Conference ● It began in 1921, and the Gujarat event marks its centenary year. ● Theme for 2020: ‘Harmonious Coordination between Legislature, Executive and Judiciary: Key to a Vibrant Democracy’. ● It emphasises on the need for coordination between all three wings of the state, viz. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary and suggests them to be guided by the Constitution which mentions their role to their decorum.

Right to Recall ● Recall refers to the condition when a person who has been elected be removed from his office before the end of his term by a direct vote. ● Right to Recall (RTR) confers the electorate a right of recall that can be initiated by any elector within a particular constituency through a recall petition signed by not less than one-fourth of the total number of electors. ● It is found in many contemporary constitutions. ● Canada and the US also allow the right to recall on grounds of misfeasance and misconduct. ● Why in news?: Haryana Assembly passed Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020, which provides the right to recall members of Panchayati Raj institutions. Anti-defection law ● The Tenth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution in 1985 by the 52nd Amendment Act. Article–102(2) and Article–191(2) ● It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House. ● The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies. ● It deals with all 3 types of members è 1. Members elected from party’s ticket 2. Independent MLA’s and 3. Nominated members

When can a member be disqualified? ● If a member of a house belonging to a political party: ○ Voluntarily gives up the membership of his political party, or ○ Votes, or does not vote in the legislature, contrary to the directions of his political party. However, if the member has taken prior permission, or is condoned by the party within 15 days from such voting or abstention, the member shall not be disqualified. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 35

○ If an independent candidate joins a political party after the election. ○ If a nominated member joins a party six months after he becomes a member of the legislature. ● However, Legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in certain circumstances: ○ The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger. ○ In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification. ● Decision of the Presiding Officer is subject to judicial review: ○ The law initially stated that the decision of the Presiding Officer is not subject to judicial review. This condition was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1992, thereby allowing appeals against the Presiding Officer’s decision in the High Court and Supreme Court. ○ However, it held that there may not be any judicial intervention until the Presiding Officer gives his order.

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Indian Economy.

Goods and Services Tax ● It is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based indirect tax that is levied on every value addition. ● Passed in the Parliament on 29th March 2017 and came into effect on 1st July 2017. ● Under the GST Council and 101st constitutional amendment 2017, the tax is levied at every point of sale. ● GST is categorised into Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) depending on whether the transaction is intra-State or inter-State. ● Central GST: CGST is a tax levied on intra-State supplies of both goods and services by the Central Government and is governed by the CGST Act. ● State GST: SGST is also levied on the same intra-State supply but will be governed by the State Governments. ● This implies that both the Central and the State governments agree on combining their levies with an appropriate proportion for revenue sharing between them. ● However, it is clearly mentioned in Section 8 of the GST Act that the taxes be levied on all intra-State supplies of goods and/or services but the rate of tax shall not be exceeding 14%, each. ● Integrated GST: IGST is a tax levied on all inter-State supplies of goods and/or services and is governed by the IGST Act. ● It is applicable to any supply of goods and/or services in both cases of import into and export from India. ● GST Council ○ Article 279A - GST Council to be formed by the President to administer & govern GST. It's Chairman is Union Finance Minister of India with ministers nominated by the state governments as its members. ○ The council is devised in such a way that the centre will have 1/3rd voting power and the states have 2/3rd. ○ The decisions are taken by 3/4th majority. ● Exemptions under GST ○ Custom duty will be still collected along with the levy of IGST on imported goods. ○ Petroleum and tobacco products are currently exempted. ○ Excise duty on liquor, stamp duty and electricity taxes are also exempted.

Kevadia Tourism Circuit ● PM Modi recently inaugurated 17 tourism projects around the Statue of Unity (SoU), now called the ‘Kevadia Tourism Circuit’.

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● Kevadia is a village in the tribal Narmada district. It is home to the Sardar Sarovar Dam reservoir on the Narmada river. ● Kevadia circuit covers 35 tourist spots including the Valley of Flowers, Vishwa Van, Cactus Garden, Butterfly Garden.

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Important initiatives to promote tourism in the country

Swadesh Darshan Scheme ● a Central Sector Scheme, was launched by Ministry of Tourism in 2014 -15 ● Objective: for integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country. ● Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for infrastructure development of circuits. ● This scheme is envisioned to synergise with other schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, Make in India etc. with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving force for economic growth, building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.

➢ Ramayana Circuit is one of the fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

PRASHAD Scheme ● Old name PRASAD: ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’ ● New Name PRASHAD: National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive- Changed in 2017 ● Launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 ● Objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations. 1. Rejuvenation and spiritual augmentation of important national/ global pilgrimage and heritage sites. 2. Follow community-based development and create awareness among the local communities. 3. Integrated tourism development of heritage city, local arts, culture, handicrafts, cuisine, etc., to generate livelihood. 4. Strengthen the mechanism for bridging the infrastructural gaps.

➢ "Adopt a Heritage Project" plans to entrust heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites to private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals for the development of various tourist amenities.

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➢ Paryatan Parv from 16th to 27th September, 2018, to encourage Indians to visit tourist destination in India.Reward travellers who visit 15 domestic tourist spots in a year by sponsoring their travel expenses as an incentive. ➢ Incredible India Website to promote to and engage with travelers. ➢ Online Learning Management System for creating skilled manpower to work as tourist facilitators. ➢ DekhoApnaDesh webinar series to provide information on the many destinations and the sheer depth and expanse of the culture and heritage of India. ➢ 17 “Iconic Tourist Sites” in the country would be developed by the government into world class tourist destinations. ➢ Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana: Hon’ble PM has launched the scheme under which a group of Indian diaspora will be taken on a government-sponsored tour of religious places in India twice a year.

Doing Business in India Report 2020 ● Released by: UK India Business Council(UKIBC) ● The report is based on an in- depth survey of 106 UK organisations operating in India spanning manufacturing, services, and higher education sectors.

Key Findings: ● Nearly two-thirds of the UK businesses believe it is getting easier to do business in India due to progressive reforms. ● State wise Analysis: Maharashtra has emerged as the state with maximum incremental improvement for the third consecutive year. Maharashtra is followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. ● Top Regulatory Irritants : Legal and regulatory barriers, Foreign exchange regulations, GST process issues, high import tariffs, lack of alignment with international standards.

UK India Business Council UKIBC ➢ It is a membership-based, non-profit organisation founded in 2007. ➢ Purpose : To foster trade and business relations between the United Kingdom and India. ➢ The organisation works with businesses in both countries as well as the UK and Indian governments to promote and increase bilateral trade

Mission Sagar - II ● launched by the Indian government to provide assistance to friendly foreign countries to overcome natural calamities and the coronavirus pandemic.

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● Mission Sagar- I : It was undertaken in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines. ● As part of ‘Mission Sagar- II’: Indian Naval Ship Airavat will deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.

SAGAR- Security and Growth for All in the Region ● SAGAR was launched in 2015. ● It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). ● Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities. ● Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure Indian Ocean region to become inclusive, collaborative and respect international law. ● action to deal with natural disasters and maritime threats like piracy, terrorism.

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Project Sagarmala ● This project was launched to develop ports around the coasts of India. ● This, in turn, seeks to promote port led development across 7,500 km long coastline of the country. ● Expansion of inland waterways, rail, road and coastal services is being done under the aegis of The Ministry of Shipping.

Project Mausam ● It is a cultural and economic project launched by the Indian Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). ● The project is aimed at connecting the 39 countries bordering the Indian Ocean in order to rebuild maritime and economic connections. ● It also bring together the historical and archaeological researchers for recording the diversity of economic, cultural, and religious interactions between countries.

Indian Ocean Rim Association ( IORA ) ● Established in 1997 ● a regional forum that seeks to build and expand understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation through a consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approach. ● IORA has 22 member states, including Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Yemen. ● The association gains importance by the fact that the Indian Ocean carries half of the world’s container ships, one-third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments.

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Indian Ocean Commission ( IOC ) ● An intergovernmental body created in 1984 ● Aim: to protect the interests of the Western Indian Ocean islands. ● 5 Members: Madagascar, Comoros, La Réunion (French overseas territory), Mauritius and Seychelles. ● five observers — India, China, European Union (EU), Malta and International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). ● The IOC islands are situated around one of the key chokepoints in the Indian Ocean- the Mozambique Channel. ● The Mozambique Channel is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique.

National Payments Corporation of India ( NPCI ) ● An umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, ● An initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. ● It is a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of Companies Act 2013), ● With an intention to provide infrastructure to the entire Banking system in India for physical as well as electronic payment and settlement systems.

UPI - Unified Payments Interface ● An advanced version of Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) - round–the-clock funds transfer service to make cashless payments faster, easier and smoother. ● This is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. ● It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience.

NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) ● you can transfer any amount to the recipient’s account in a one-on-one transfer basis. ● NEFT transactions don’t have a maximum limit for funds that can be transferred in a single day. ● The NEFT system is available round the clock throughout the year on all days (24x7x365). ● Funds are transferred in batches that are settled in 48 half-hourly time slots throughout the day. ● There is no maximum or minimum limit on the amount of funds that could be transferred through NEFT.

RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement)

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● Business owners can use RTGS when they need to transfer large amounts instantly. ● One advantage that RTGS has over the other methods is the transaction speed, since the entire amount is transferred in real time. ● The available hours for RTGS transactions vary based on the individual banks and their branches. ● There’s a minimum limit of Rs. 2 lakhs for RTGS transactions, and there’s no maximum limit as such.

Immediate Mobile Payment Services(IMPS) ● A real-time instant inter-bank funds transfer system managed by National payment corporation of India. ● IMPS is available 24/7 throughout the year including bank holidays, unlike NEFT and RTGS.

National Productivity Council ● National Productivity Council (NPC) has been granted accreditation conforming to ISO 17020:2012 by National Accreditation Board for Certification Body (NABCB), Quality Council of India (QCI). About NPC ● NPC is an autonomous body under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. ● it is a tri-partite non-profit organization with equal representation from the government, employers and workers’ organizations ● Objective : NPC is a national level organization to promote productivity culture in India. ● Established in : 1958. ● NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental Body, of which the Government of India is a founder member. ● Functions: ○ NPC teams up with its clients to work out solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing profits, augmenting safety and reliability and ensuring better quality. ○ It provides reliable database for decision-making, improved systems and procedures, work culture as well as customer satisfaction both internal & external.

Growth in Manufacturing: PMI ● Strongest growth in 13 years in October 2020 amid robust sales growth. Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) ● PMI is compiled by IHS Markit for more than 40 economies worldwide. ○ IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide.

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● Released at the start of every month. ● An indicator of business activity - both in the manufacturing and services sectors. ● The PMI summarizes whether market conditions as viewed by purchasing managers are expanding, neutral, or contracting. ● The purpose of the PMI is to provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision makers, analysts, and investors.

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme ● Scheme was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced in May 2020 ● Objective: To provide fully guaranteed and collateral free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, MUDRA borrowers and individual loans for business purposes to the extent of 20% of their credit outstanding ● 100% guarantee coverage is being provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company, whereas Banks and Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) provide loans. ● Eligibility: Borrowers with credit outstanding up to Rs. 50 crore as on 29th February, 2020, and with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 250 crore are eligible under the Scheme. On 1st August, the government widened the scope of the Rs. 3 lakh crore-ECLGS scheme ● Tenor : of loans provided under the Scheme is four years, including a moratorium of one year on principal repayment. ● Interest rates : Under the Scheme are capped at 9.25% for Banks and Financial Institutions (FIs), and 14% for NBFCs.

Centre of Excellence for vegetables Protected Cultivation ● This centre will be providing exposure to the latest Israeli technologies in agribusiness, agriculture and food processing to the farmers of the state. ● The primary aim of the establishment of centre is to double farmers’ income in the region.

Food Fortification Scheme ● In order to fight chronic anaemia and undernutrition, the government is making plans to distribute fortified rice through the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid Day Meal Schemes across the country from the year 2021, with special focus on Aspirational districts.

Fortified Rice Kernels ● Fortifying rice involves grinding broken rice into powder, mixing it with nutrients, and then shaping it into rice-like kernels using an extrusion process. ● These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a ratio ranging from 1:50 to 1:200.

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● Fortified rice are contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Iron and Zinc.

Aspirational Districts ● Launched in January 2018 ● Aim of expeditiously improving the socio-economic status of 117 districts through cooperative and competitive federalism. ● Also aims to rapidly transform districts that have been showing relatively less progress in key social areas, and have emerged as pockets of under-development, thereby posing a challenge to balanced regional development.

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Food Fortification ● According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food fortification is defined as the practice of deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health. ● Food fortification can be done for foods widely consumed by the general population (mass fortification), ● In October 2016, Food Safety and Standards Authority Of India (FSSAI) operationalized the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016 for fortifying staples namely Wheat Flour and Rice (with Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid), Milk and Edible Oil (with Vitamins A and D) and Double Fortified Salt (with Iodine and Iron) to reduce the high burden of micronutrient malnutrition in India. ● India’s National Nutritional strategy, 2017, had listed food fortification as one of the interventions to address anaemia, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies apart from supplementation and dietary diversification.

Central Vista Redevelopment Project ● The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed the Central Vista redevelopment project in 2019. ● The project envisages: ○ Constructing a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one. ○ Constructing Common Central Secretariat. ○ Revamping of the 3-km-long Rajpath — from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. ● North and South Block to be repurposed as museums. ● Currently, the Central Vista of New Delhi houses Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, National Archives among others.

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Luhri Hydro Power Project. ● would be constructed on River Sutlej, in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. ● would be generating 758.2 million units of electricity annually. ● Implemented by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited in Build-Own-Operate-Maintain mode. The Sutlej River ● longest rivers flowing through the crossroads region of Punjab, India and Pakistan. ● The River is also known as Satadree. ● River Satlej is the is eastern most tributary of the Indus River. ● On this river, the bharka dam is built in order to provide irrigation and other facilities to the adjoining areas.

Differential Licensing on Telecom Sector ● In May 2019, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) informed that the National Digital Communications Policy 2018, under its ‘Propel India’ mission, envisages reforming the licensing and regulatory regime to catalyse investments and innovation and promote Ease of Doing Business. ● Enabling unbundling of different layers(infrastructure, network, services, and application layer) through differential licensing is one of the action plans for fulfilling the strategy. ● various telecom operators have collectively opposed the move to introduce differential licensing ● Separating the network licence will introduce uncertainty in the licensing regime and adversely impact the future investment in the networks. ● A converged licence for network and service layer offers clarity and certainty to an operator making an investment in the network.

INDIA MOBILE CONGRESS (IMC) 2020 ● Minister of Information Technology announced the fourth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020, through a video message ● This prestigious event, jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAT), will see 50+ participating countries, 110 + Global Speakers , Start-ups over the three day programme. ● This year IMC's theme is going to be - "Inclusive Innovation - Smart I Secure I Sustainable". ● IMC is considered the largest Digital Technology Forum in Asia for bringing together the industry, Government, academia, and other ecosystem players to discuss the latest industry technology trends around major themes such as SG, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Internet of things (loT) etc.

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Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge ● Launched by: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs ● What is it ? : It is a three-year initiative that will support cities to develop, pilot, and scale solutions that enhance the quality of life of young children, their caregivers and families in the public realm. ● It will be open to all smart cities, other cities with more than 5,00,000 population, and capitals of states and Union territories. ● It will be open for the 100 Smart Cities, cities with population of more than 5 lakh and State/Union Territory capital ● Cities will receive technical assistance and help in capacity-building to re-imagine parks and open spaces, improve access to early childhood facilities, adapt public spaces with early childhood-oriented amenities, and create accessible, safe, walkable streets for young children and families.

Data Maturity Assessment Framework (DMAF): ● Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. ● It is a framework to evaluate the data ecosystems of cities. ● This will support cities in the creation of a ‘culture of data’ under the DataSmart Cities initiative of the Smart Cities Mission. ● Objective of this framework is to enable cities to assess their own data maturity with respect to a standardized framework covering aspects of enabling policies, governance structures, data management, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement at the city level.

TRP norms review panel ● By The Information and Broadcasting Ministry ● Four member committee ● Headed by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO of Prasar Bharati.

What is Target Rating Point (TRP) ? ● also known as the Television Rating Points. ● It is the metric used by the marketing and advertising agencies to evaluate viewership. ● TRPs represent how many people, from which socio-economic categories, watched which channels for how much time during a particular period. ● In India, the TRP is recorded by the Broadcast Audience Research Council ( BARC ) using Bar-O-Meters that are installed on televisions in selected households.

Broadcast Audience Research Council ( BARC ) ● Created in 2010. ● an industry body jointly owned by advertisers, ad agencies, and broadcasting companies, represented by the Indian Society of Advertisers, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation and the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

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Virtual Global Investor Roundtable ● It is an exclusive dialogue between leading global institutional investors, Indian business leaders and the highest decision makers from the Government of India and Financial Market Regulators. ● Organized by Ministry of Finance and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). ● Aatmanirbhar Vision: It is a well-planned economic strategy that aims to use the capabilities of India’s businesses and skills of its workers to make India into a global manufacturing powerhouse. ● ESG Score: India has companies ranking high on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores. ● National Infrastructure Pipeline: Under it, India has an ambitious plan to invest USD 1.5 trillion in various social and economic infrastructure projects, aimed for faster economic growth and alleviation of poverty in the country.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fun: NIIF ● The government had set up the ₹40,000 crore NIIF in 2015 as an investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled infrastructure projects. ● Objective: To maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure investment in commercially viable projects both Greenfield and Brownfield. (such as energy, transportation, housing, water, waste management ) ● Funds: NIIF currently manages three funds each with its distinctive investment mandate. The funds are registered as Alternative Investment Fund(AIF) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI). ○ Master Fund , Fund of fund , Strategic Investment fund

Metro Neo ● The Centre is planning to approve national standard specifications for Metro Neo, a no- frills, low-cost, energy-efficient and eco-friendly urban rail transit system targeted at tier 2 and tier 3 cities. ● Drawing traction power from overhead wires, Metro Neo will not run on track but on road. It is suitable for places where the traffic demand is around 8,000 passengers one way in peak time. ● Metro Neo systems are lighter and smaller than conventional Metro trains

Metro Trains and Metrolite ● The metro rail system being developed at present is of high capacity which is required for bigger cities with very high ridership and Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT).

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● Seeing the success of metro rail in the country, several other cities with lower projection of ridership are also aspiring for a rail based mass rapid transit system, which could be fulfilled by Light Urban Rail Transit System named "Metrolite" with lesser capacity at much less cost. ● 'Metrolite' would also act as a feeder system to high capacity Metro.

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Hyperloop Transportation System ● It is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is propelled through a near-vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching that of an aircraft. ● The hyperloop concept is a brainchild of Tesla founder Elon Musk. The hyperloop system is being designed to transport passengers and freight. ● The Hyperloop is a new mode of transport that speeds up to 1000 kilometres per hour. ● The USA-based Hyperloop Transport Technology (HTT) has claimed that it costs USD 40 million per kilometre to build a hyperloop system while building a high-speed train line would cost almost twice. ● The Maharashtra government had signed an agreement with Virgin group to build a Hyperloop in 2018. ● The Virgin Hyperloop that plans to connect Mumbai and Pune in 25 minutes has conducted its first successful passenger ride. The test was conducted in Las Vegas.

Pod Taxi ● In 2017, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had called the expression of interest (EOI) for launching India’s first driverless pod taxi systems on a 70 km stretch from Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to Manesar in Haryana. Pod Taxi Scheme is also called the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). ● PRT consists of driverless vehicles in the shape of pods, which can hold two to six people each, and run along a predetermined course at 80-130 km per hour.

Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards ● By Ministry of Science and technology ● Purpose: to encourage technology students to move towards setting up biotechnology and other start-ups. ● GYTI awards constitute two categories of awards: ○ Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SITARE-GYTI) ○ Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations- Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SRISTI-GYTI)

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Initiatives Aimed at Boosting Start-Ups Scientific Social Responsibility Policy ● Currently, the government is working on a Scientific Social Responsibility Policy with a focus on how efforts of scientists can benefit all sections of society.

Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme ● It is the flagship programme of BIRAC, which provides support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals. ● It is the largest early-stage biotech funding programme in India with the funding grant of up to Rs. 5 million to best in class innovative ideas to build and refine the idea to proof- of-concept. ● Aims: ○ Foster generation of ideas with commercialisation potential. ○ Upscale and validate proof of concept. ○ Encourage researchers to take technology closer to market through a start-up. ○ Stimulate enterprise formation.

Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research through Vibrant Acceleration (E-YUVA) Scheme: ● It will engage a number of universities and technology institutes to serve as mentors, which will help to create a pan-India network to encourage a larger number of student entrepreneurs. ● It aims to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers. ● It provides support for students under the following two categories:

Biologically-inspired Resilient Autonomic Cloud (BioRAC) ● Helps more and more students who try to set up start-ups and help India become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant). ● BioRAC employs biologically inspired techniques and multi-level tunable redundancy techniques to increase attack and exploitation resilience in cloud computing, helping it tolerate and minimise the impact of novel cyber-attacks.

The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 ● to further amend Arbitration and Conciliation Act. ● The ordinance seeks to ensure that stakeholder parties can seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards in cases where the “arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption.” ● Also does away with the 8th Schedule of the Act that contained the necessary qualifications for accreditation of arbitrators. ● Added a proviso in Section 36 of the Arbitration Act and will come into effect retrospectively from October 23, 2015. As per this amendment, if the Court is satisfied

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that a prima facie case is made out that the arbitration agreement or contract which is the basis of the award was induced or effected by fraud or corruption, it will stay the award unconditionally pending disposal of the challenge made to the award under Section 34.

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The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 ● The Act contains provisions to deal with domestic and international arbitration, and defines the law for conducting conciliation proceedings. Key features of the Bill : ● Arbitration Council of India: The Bill seeks to establish an independent body called the Arbitration Council of India (ACI) for the promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation and other alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. ● Its functions include: ○ Framing policies for grading arbitral institutions and accrediting arbitrators. ○ Making policies for the establishment, operation and maintenance of uniform professional standards for all alternate dispute redressal matters. ○ Maintaining a depository of arbitral awards (judgments) made in India and abroad. ● Appointment of arbitrators: Under the 1996 Act, parties were free to appoint arbitrators. In case of disagreement on an appointment, parties could request the Supreme Court, or the High Court, or any person or institution designated by such Court, to appoint an arbitrator. ● Under the Bill, the Supreme Court and High Courts may now designate arbitral institutions, which parties can approach for the appointment of arbitrators. ● For international commercial arbitration, appointments will be made by the institution designated by the Supreme Court. ● For domestic arbitration, appointments will be made by the institution designated by the concerned High Court. ● In case there are no arbitral institutions available, the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court may maintain a panel of arbitrators to perform the functions of arbitral institutions. ● Relaxation of time limits: Under the Act, arbitral tribunals are required to make their award within a period of 12 months for all arbitration proceedings. ● The Bill seeks to remove this time restriction for international commercial arbitrations. It adds that tribunals must try to dispose of international arbitration matters within 12 months.

What is Arbitration? ● Arbitration is a settlement of dispute between two parties to a contract by a neutral third party i.e. the arbitrator without resorting to court action. The process can be tailored to suit parties’ particular needs.

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● Arbitrators can be chosen for their expertise. It is confidential and can be speedier and cheaper than court. There are limited grounds of appeal. Arbitral awards are binding and enforceable through courts.

New Delhi International Arbitration Centre ( NDIAC ) Bill, 2019 ● Features: ○ In order to facilitate the setting up of NDIAC, the Ordinance envisages the transfer and vesting of the undertakings of the International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR) ○ in the Central Government. The Central Government will subsequently vest the undertakings in NDIAC. Composition: ● New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) will be headed by a chairperson who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Judge of a High Court or an eminent person, having special knowledge and experience in the conduct or administration of arbitration law or management, to be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India. ● There will be two Full time or Part time Members from amongst eminent persons having substantial knowledge and experience in institutional arbitration, both domestic and international. ● Also, one representative of a recognised body of commerce and industry shall be chosen on rotational basis as Part time Member. ● Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Financial Adviser nominated by the Department of Expenditure and Chief Executive Officer, NDIAC shall be ex-officio Members. ●

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Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) ● It is an autonomous society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). ● Established in 1991. ● Objective of encouraging, promoting and boosting the export of software from India. ● The STPI’s Governing Council’s Chairperson is the Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology. ● To provide statutory and other promotional services to the exporters by implementing Software Technology Parks (STP)/ Electronics and Hardware Technology Parks (EHTP) Schemes, SEZ scheme and other such schemes which may be formulated and entrusted by the Government from time to time. ● To promote micro, small and medium entrepreneurs by creating conducive environment for entrepreneurship in the field of IT/ITES. ● To establish and manage infrastructure resources such as Datacom facilities, Project Management and Consultancy and IT support facilities.

National Food Security Act ( NFSA ) 2013 ● Government weeds out 4.39 crore bogus ration cards under NFSA since 2013. ● Objective is to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity. Key features: ● Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): The TDPS covers 50% of the urban population and 75% of the rural population, with uniform entitlement of 5 kg of food grains per person per month. However, the poorest of the poor households will continue to receive 35 kg of food grains per household per month under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). ● Subsidised prices under TPDS and their revision: For a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act, Food grains under TPDS will be made available at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains. ● Identification of Households: to be done by States/UTs under TDPS determined for each State. ● Nutritional Support to women and children: Children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years and pregnant women and lactating mothers will be entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) schemes. Malnourished children up to the age of 6 have been prescribed for higher nutritional norms. ● Maternity Benefit: Pregnant women and lactating mothers will also be receiving maternity benefit of Rs. 6,000. ● Women Empowerment: For the purpose of issuing of ration cards, eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is to be the head of the household. ● Grievance Redressal Mechanism: available at the District and State levels.

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● Cost of transportation & handling of food grains and Fair Price Shop (FPS) Dealers’ margin: provided by the Central Government to meet the above expenditure. ● Transparency and Accountability: In order to ensure transparency and accountability, provisions have been made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits and setting up of Vigilance Committees. ● Food Security Allowance: In case of non-supply of entitled food grains or meals, there is a provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries. ● Penalty: If the public servant or authority fails to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer, penalty will be imposed by the State Food Commission according to the provision.

Non-banking financial companies- microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) ● NBFC MFI is a non-deposit taking NBFC (other than a company licensed u/s 25 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956) that meets the following conditions: ○ Minimum Net Owned Funds (NOF) of Rs.5 crore. (For those registered in the North Eastern Region of the country, Rs. 2 crore is required as minimum NOF). ○ At least 85% of its Total Net Assets are in the nature of “Qualifying Assets.” ● MSMEs contribute around 6.11% of the manufacturing GDP and 24.63% of the GDP from service activities as well as 33.4% of India’s manufacturing output.

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Basic terms & MSME related Scheme ● “Net assets” are total assets excluding cash, bank balances, and money market instruments. ● “Qualifying assets” are those assets which have a substantial period of time to be ready for its intended use or sale. ● Udyam Sceme: As per the latest notification An MSME would hereafter been referred to as Udyam and the registration process as Udyam Registration. ● Udyam Sakhi: seeks to encourage women entrepreneurs and to aid, counsel, assist and protect their interests. It also preserves free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The Udyam Sakhi helps Indian women to start, build and grow businesses. ● Technology Platform CHAMPIONS: Stand for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. The portal aims to make smaller units big by supporting them, encouraging, solving their grievances, helping and handholding. It will act as one-stop shop solution of all entities of the MSME sector. ● MSME Samadhaan ○ MSME Act, 2006 requires State Governments to establish Micro and Small Enterprise Facilitation Council (MSEFC).

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○ If a buyer (Govt org of Union/State) is not paying money to MSME supplier within specified time limit, then MSEFC can order him to pay money with interest rate. ○ MSME Ministry’s ‘MSME SAMADHAAN’ webportal helps filing online complaint for delayed payments. ● MSME- Sampark : MSME Ministry’s webportal to connect jobseekers (passed out trainees / students of MSME Technology Centres) to recruiters ● Udyam Sangam, Udyam Samvad: MSME ministry organizes such Workshops, Conventions, Mela usually at Delhi. ● Mission Solar Charkha: To ensure inclusive growth by generation of employment, especially for women and youth and sustainable development through solar charkha cluster in rural areas. implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the country.

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms: ● Under the section 3 of Environment Protection Act, 1986 of India, Coastal Regulation Zone notification was issued in February 1991 for the first time. ● In 2018-19, fresh Rules were issued, which aimed to remove certain restrictions on building, streamlined the clearance process, and aimed to encourage tourism in coastal areas. ● Objectives: They restrict certain kinds of activities — like large constructions, setting up of new industries, storage or disposal of hazardous material, mining, reclamation and bunding — within a certain distance from the coastline. ● Implementation: While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.

What are the restrictions ? ● The restrictions depend on criteria such as the population of the area, the ecological sensitivity, the distance from the shore, and whether the area had been designated as a natural park or wildlife zone. ● The latest Rules have a no-development zone of 20 m for all islands close to the mainland coast, and for all backwater islands in the mainland. ● For the so-called CRZ-III (Rural) areas, two separate categories have been stipulated. 1. In the densely populated rural areas (CRZ-IIIA) with a population density of 2,161 per sq km as per the 2011 Census, the no-development zone is 50 m from the high-tide level, as against the 200 m stipulated earlier. 2. CRZ-IIIB category (rural areas with population density below 2,161 per sq km) areas continue to have a no-development zone extending up to 200 m from the high-tide line.

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Four Years of Demonetisation ● 8th November 2020 marked the four year anniversary of demonetisation, when Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes were withdrawn from the system in 2016. ● Demonetisation: It is the act of stripping a currency unit of its status as legal tender. It occurs whenever there is a change of national currency and the current form or forms of money is pulled from circulation and retired, often to be replaced with new notes or coins. Objective: ● To discourage the use of high-denomination notes for illegal transactions and thus curb the widespread use of black money. ● To encourage digitisation of commercial transactions, formalise the economy and so, boost government tax revenues. ● The formalisation of the economy means bringing companies under the regulatory regime of government and subject to laws related to manufacturing and income tax. Impact ● Currency with public stood at Rs. 17.97 lakh crore on 4th November 2016 and declined to Rs 7.8 lakh crore in January 2017 after demonetisation. ○ Currency with Public: As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) definition, currency with public is arrived at after deducting cash with banks from total currency in circulation. ○ Currency in Circulation: It refers to cash or currency within a country that is physically used to conduct transactions between consumers and businesses. ● Demands fell, businesses faced a crisis and gross domestic product (GDP) growth declined nearly 1.5%, with many small units and shops being shut down and it also created a liquidity shortage. ● Liquidity shortages or crises arise when financial institutions and industrial companies scramble for, and cannot find the cash they require to meet their most urgent needs or undertake their most valuable projects.

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RBI publishes figures for four alternative measures of money supply, viz. M1, M2, M3 and M4. ● M1 = CU + DD ● M2 = M1 + Savings deposits with Post Office savings banks ● M3 = M1 + Net time deposits of commercial banks ● M4 = M3 + Total deposits with Post Office savings organisations (excluding National Savings Certificates) ● CU is currency (notes plus coins) held by the public and DD is net demand deposits held by commercial banks. ● M1 and M2 are known as narrow money. M3 and M4 are known as broad money. ● These gradations are in decreasing order of liquidity. ● M1 is most liquid and easiest for transactions whereas M4 is least liquid of all.

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● M3 is the most commonly used measure of money supply. It is also known as aggregate monetary resources.

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Dobra Chanti bridge ● The 440-metre long Dobra Chanti bridge is India's longest motorable single lane suspension bridge. ● Built over Tehri Lake, it will cut travel time between Tehri and Pratapnagar districts from 5 5 to 1.5 hours.

Tehri dam ● Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India and fourth highest dam in the world. ● It is around 260.5 metre high and 592 metre long. ● It is part of the Tehri Dam & Hydro Power Project (the multi-purpose river valley project) taken up for construction on River Bhagirathi to tap its vast potential for irrigation and hydro-electric purposes. ● It is located in the Tehri district of Uttarakhand

River Bhagirathi ● The river stream originates in the Garhwal Himalaya. The river after reaching Devprayag meets another head stream, the Alaknanda, forming river Ganga.

UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) ● Advisory Committee is an expert Committee of sixteen Members elected by the General Assembly for a period of three years, on the basis of a broad geographical representation. ● three sessions a year Functions: ● To examine and report on the budget submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly. ● To advise the General Assembly concerning any administrative and budgetary matters referred to it. ● Examines, on behalf of the General Assembly, the administrative budgets of the specialised agencies and proposals for financial arrangements with such agencies

A Food Coalition ● About: Proposed by Italy and led by Food and Agriculture Organization, ● Aims to increase resilience of agricultural food systems and ensure global food access. ● The alliance would work as a network of networks and a multi-stakeholder coalition for a unified global action to ensure food access and increase the resilience of agricultural food systems in response to COVID-19.

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● Advocating for a joint and coordinated COVID-19 response. ● Promoting dialogue and exchange of knowledge and expertise among countries. ● Working towards solution-oriented plans and programmes. ● Expanding international cooperation and partnership for a longer term impact.

CCI to Probe Google ● The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has initiated a probe into alleged abuse of dominant position by the company to promote its payments app, Google Pay.

The Competition Act, 2002 ● It was passed in 2002 and was amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007. It follows the philosophy of modern competition laws. ● The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002, on the recommendations of Raghavan committee. ● The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations, which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India. ● In accordance with the provisions of the Amendment Act, the Competition Commission of India and the Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) were established. ● The government replaced COMPAT with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in 2017.

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Competition Commission of India ● It is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the objectives of the Competition Act, 2002. ● Composition: A Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government. ● Objectives: ○ To eliminate practices having adverse effects on competition. ○ Promote and sustain competition. ○ Protect the interests of consumers. ○ Ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India. ● The Commission is also required to give an opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal ● constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 ● to hear appeals against the orders of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

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● It is also the appellate tribunal for orders passed by the NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016, and for orders passed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Sections 202 and 211 of the IBC. ● Any person aggrieved by any order of the NCLAT may file an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Saffron Cultivation in Northeast ● A pilot project of saffron cultivation has yielded successful results in Yangyang village of Sikkim, which produced its first crop of saffron recently. ● Season: months of June and July and at some places in August and September.It starts flowering in October. ● Soil: It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance), humus-rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8. ● Climate: For saffron cultivation, we need an explicit climatological summer and winter with temperatures ranging from no more than 35 or 40 degree Celsius in summer to about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter. ● Rainfall: It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum.

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Saffron Producing Regions in India ● Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. ● Pampore region, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production. ● Pampore Saffron Heritage of Kashmir is one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage systems (GIAHS) recognised sites in India. ● Other districts producing saffron are Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtwar districts. ● Recently, the Kashmir saffron got Geographical Indication (GI) tag status.

Kashmir Saffron ( GI Tag ) ● It is known for its quality and aroma all over the world. ● Kashmir was ranked second after Iran is the largest producer of saffron in the world ● It is the only saffron in the world that is grown at an altitude of 1,600 metres to 1,800 metres.It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir. ● The stigmas of the Kashmir Saffron are longer. They have a natural deep red colour. ● Their aroma is higher and they have a bitter flavour. ● They are processed without the use of chemicals ● There are three types of saffron namely Lachha Saffron, Guchhi Saffron, Mongra Saffron.

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Polavaram project ● The dam is being built across the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. ● It will facilitate an inter-basin transfer to the Krishna river basin through its Right canal. ● Its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also. ● The project is a multipurpose major terminal reservoir project for development of Irrigation, Hydropower and drinking water facilities.

Godavari River ● Source: Trimbakeshwar near Nasik in Maharashtra and flows for a length of about 1465 km before outfalling into the Bay of Bengal. ● Drainage Basin: The Godavari basin extends over states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in addition to smaller parts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Union territory of Puducherry. ● Tributaries : Pravara, Purna, Manjra, Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga, Pranhita (combined flow of Wainganga, Penganga, Wardha), Indravati, Maner and the Sabri.

Recent Changes in the name of Ministry of Shipping ● On 17 November 2000, the “Ministry of Surface Transport” was divided into two new ministries- “Ministry of Shipping” and “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways”. ● On 2 October 2004, both the bifurcated ministries- “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways” and “Ministry of Shipping” were merged again and renamed as “Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways”. The ministry then had two departments- “Department of Road transport and Highways” and “Department of Shipping”. In the year 2009, Ministry of Shipping was again formed by dividing these two departments into separate ministries. ● On 8 November, 2020; the name of “Ministry of Shipping” has been changed to “Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways”.

Aerosol fire suppression ● The fire detection and suppression system developed by the DRDO works on aerosol fire suppression concept. ● Under the aerosol fire suppression, combination of gases matter and microparticles are used to flood the region under fire. ● These particles remove oxygen, e Heath and hinder the chain reaction that is causing the fire. ● Bottomline, the aerosol fire suppression system work by removing heat. ● They are well suited to suppress class A, B and C fires.

Four classes of Fire ● They are as follows

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○ Class A: these on fires on solid combustible such as wood, paper, cloth and plastics. ○ Class B: These are fires on flammable liquids such as Ether, alcohol, oil, grease and gasoline. ○ Class C: These are fires on electrical appliances ○ Class D: These are fires on metallic substances such as potassium and sodium. These are usually fires on materials normally not found in medical centres.

Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) ● It is a U.S. trade program designed to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for up to 4,800 products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and territories. ● GSP was instituted on January 1, 1976, by the Trade Act of 1974. ● GSP has been given on non-reciprocal basis. Yet the US has linked it with market access and tariff reduction which is against the basic tenets of GSP. Objective of GSP ● The objective of GSP was to give development support to poor countries by promoting exports from them into the developed countries. ● GSP promotes sustainable development in beneficiary countries by helping these countries to increase and diversify their trade with the United States. Benefits of GSP: ● Indian exporters benefit indirectly – through the benefit that accrues to the importer by way of reduced tariff or duty free entry of eligible Indian products ● Reduction or removal of import duty on an Indian product makes it more competitive to the importer – other things (e.g. quality) being equal. ● This tariff preference helps new exporters to penetrate a market and established exporters to increase their market share and to improve upon the profit margins, in the donor country.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana ● It was launched in 2016 with a total outlay of Rs 6,000 crores. ● The scheme has seven components namely Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, Human Resources and Institutions, Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation capacities, Infrastructure for agro-processing clusters and creation of Operation Greens as a vertical.

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Operation Greens

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● Launched in 2018 for integrated development of supply chain of Tomato, Onion and Potato crops. ● Greens is a price fixation scheme that makes sure if farmers are provided with right price for their produce. ● launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. ● The nodal agency implementing the scheme is NAFED (National Agriculture cooperative marketing Federation of India). ● It is implemented through short term price stabilization measures and long term integrated value chain development projects. ● Aims to promote processing facilities, Farmer Producer Organizations and professional management of agri-produce. ● It mainly focuses on tomatoes, onions and potatoes by connecting farmers and consumers. ● The scheme aims to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Potato and Onions. ● Operation Greens aims to double farmers’ income by 2022.

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Kisan Rail Scheme ● The scheme was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman during her Budget 2020-21. ● The Kisan Rail scheme will transport agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables ● Under the scheme, trains with frozen containers are to be launched to build cold supply chain of fish, perishables, milk and meat.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd ( NAFED ) ● Launched in 2 Oct 1958 ● It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act. ● the apex organization for marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India. ● NAFED along with Food Corporation of India procures pulses, oil seeds. ● Headquarters in New Delhi. ● The four regional offices of NAFED are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. ● Functions: ○ To facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions, partners and associates in agricultural, other commodities, articles and goods ○ To undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and machinery etc.

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Regulations on OTT and Digital Content ● Recently, the Government has brought Over The Top (OTT) platforms, or digital video streaming service providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others, under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. ● The government had indicated the necessity to monitor these platforms and wanted the platforms to come up with a self-regulatory body. ● In January 2019, eight video streaming services had signed a self-regulatory code that laid down a set of guiding principles for content on these platforms which prohibited five types of content: ○ Content that deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national flag. ○ Any visual or storyline that promotes child pornography. ○ Any content that “maliciously” intends to outrage religious sentiments. ○ Content that “deliberately and maliciously” promotes or encourages terrorism. ○ Any content that has been banned for exhibition or distribution by law or court. ● However, the government refused to support this code and expressed displeasure at a model suggested by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), and Digital Curated Content Complaints Council (DCCC).

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WHAT IS OTT ? ● An “over-the-top” media service is any online content provider that offers streaming media as a standalone product. ● The term is commonly applied to video-on-demand platforms, but also refers to audio streaming, messaging services, or internet-based voice calling solutions. ● OTT services circumvent traditional media distribution channels such as telecommunications networks or cable television providers. ● Examples of these platforms include Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, AltBalaji amongst others. ● They are also known as Online Content Curated Platforms (OCCPs).

Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships in Infrastructure ● Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved continuation and revamping of the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model till 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rs. 8,100 crore. ● Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) involve collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects, such as public transportation networks, parks, and convention centers.

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● VGF up to 40% of the Total Project Cost (TPC) is provided by the Government of India (Gol) and the sponsoring authority in the form of capital grant at the stage of project construction (20%+20%).

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Viability Gap Funding (VGF) SCheme ● VGF is a grant one-time or deferred, provided to support infrastructure projects that are economically justified but fall short of financial viability. ● The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) provided for economic infrastructure will be extended to social infrastructure. ● VGF Scheme It was launched in 2004 to mainly support projects that fall under PPP model ● Here the private sector sponsors are selected through competitive bidding. ● The usual grant is 20% of the total capital cost of the project. ● But this was increased to 30% when GoI announced the fourth tranche of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Extension of the Scheme to Social Infrastructure:

Sub Scheme -1 ● Objective: To cater Social Sectors such as Waste Water Treatment, Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Health and Education sectors etc. ● These projects face bankability issues and poor revenue streams to cater fully to capital costs. ● Eligibility: The projects eligible under this category should have at least 100% Operational Cost recovery. ● Contribution: The Central Government will provide a maximum of 30% of Total Project Cost (TPC) as VGF and State Government/Sponsoring Central Ministry/Statutory Entity may provide additional support up to 30% of TPC and the remaining project cost will come through private participation.

Sub Scheme -2 ● Objective: To support pilot social sectors projects. ● The projects may be from Health and Education sectors where there is at least 50% Operational Cost recovery. ● Contribution: In such projects, the Central Government and the State Governments together will provide up to 80% of capital expenditure and upto 50% of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs for the first five years. ○ The Central Government will provide a maximum of 40% of the TPC. In addition, it may provide a maximum of 25% of Operational Costs of the project in the first five years of commercial operations.

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Draft Data Centre Policy 2020 ● Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has released the Draft Data Centre Policy, which aims to simplify clearances for setting up data centres in the country. Key Points ● Vision of the Draft Data Centre Policy: ○ Making India a Global Data Centre hub, ○ Promote investment in the sector, ○ Propel digital economy growth, ○ Enable provisioning of trusted hosting infrastructure to fulfil the growing demand of the country and facilitate state of the art service delivery to citizens. Terms Defined ● Data Centre: It is a dedicated secure space within a building/centralized location where computing and networking equipment is concentrated for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data. ● Data Centre Parks: These are specialized secure Data Zone, strategically located with the most conducive non-IT and IT infrastructure, and regulatory environment for housing mix of small scale/large scale clusters of Data Centres to serve the high needs of compute, storage, networking and provision of a wide range of data-related services. Provisions: ● Providing Infrastructure Status to the Data Centre Sector, at par with other sectors like Railways, Roadways, and Power. ● The status will help the sector avail long-term credit from domestic and international lenders at easier terms and will give a boost to the investments. ● Demarcation of specific zones with necessary infrastructure such as roads, running water and electricity to set up data centre parks. ● A single-window, time-bound clearance system for all the approvals required to set up a data-centre park. ● Formulation of Data Centre Incentivization Scheme (DCIS) which will specify the intended beneficiaries, applicability criteria and fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for the sector. ● Setting-up at least four Data Centre Economic Zones (DCEZ) in the country, as a Central Sector Scheme - DCEZ Scheme. DCEZs would create an ecosystem of Hyperscale Data Centres, Cloud Service Providers, IT companies, R&D units and other allied industries. ● In order to address the issues around the high consumption of power, data centre parks would be encouraged to set up their own power generation units, and use renewable energy. ● Data centres will be declared as an Essential Service under “The Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1968 (ESMA)” which means that there would be a continuity of services even during times of calamities or crisis. ● Strengthening the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by identifying possible opportunities of manufacturing of data centre equipment (IT as well as non-IT) in the country.

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● The Policy also identifies possible areas of participation by micro, small, and medium enterprises and start-ups. ● Collaboration with the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and leading academic institutes to impart large scale training to workforce on Data Centre, Digital and Cloud technologies, and facilitate sector linkages for such trained workforce. ● An Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee (IMEC) would be set up under the Chairmanship of Secretary, MeitY, with participation from various Central Ministries and State Governments. ● It shall be the key decision-making body to facilitate the implementation of various measures as defined under this policy framework, enabling ease of doing business in the sector. ● An independent Data Centre Industry Council (DCIC) is proposed to be set up, which would act as an interface between the sector and the Government.

Amendment in FCRA Rules ● The MHA has notified new rules under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA),2010 thereby amending the FCRA Rules, 2011. New Rules: ● Norms for farmers, students, religious and other groups who are not directly aligned to any political party to receive foreign funds, if the groups are not involved in active politics, has been relaxed. ● FCRA registrations have been made more stringent. ○ Any organisation that wants to register itself under FCRA shall be in existence for three years and should have spent a minimum amount of 15 lakh on its core activities for the benefit of society during the last three financial years. ○ However, the Central Government in exceptional cases or in cases where a person is controlled by the Central Government or a State Government may waive the conditions. ○ Office bearers of NGOs or organisations seeking registration under the FCRA are required to submit a specific commitment letter from the donor indicating the amount of foreign contribution and the purpose for which it was being given. ● Political Groups: ○ A new clause has been inserted which says that groups mentioned in Clause V and VI will only be considered a political group by the Centre if they participate in “active politics or party politics”. ○ Earlier, the rules on said clauses dealt with “guidelines for the declaration of an organisation to be of a political nature, not being a political party”, and the Central government could specify an organisation as that of political nature based on six criteria. ○ Clause V of Rule 3 (FCRA rules 2011) qualified a political group as organisations of farmers, workers, students, youths based on caste, community, religion, language or otherwise, which is not directly aligned to any political party, but whose objectives as stated in the memorandum of association, or activities

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gathered through other material evidence, include steps towards advancement of political interests of such groups. ○ The other 2011 clause (VI) qualified a group as political if the organisation by whatever name habitually engages itself in or employs common methods of political action like rasta roko, jail bharo, rail roko, bandh or hartal in support of public causes.

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act: ● It is an act of Parliament enacted in 1976 and amended in 2010 to regulate foreign donations and to ensure that such contributions do not adversely affect internal security. ● The Act is applicable to all associations, groups and non-governmental organisations(NGOs) who intend to receive foreign donations. ● The members of legislatures, political parties, government officials, judges and media persons are prohibited from receiving any foreign contributions.

The Unique maritime cluster coming up at GIFT City in Gujarat ● Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has been trying to develop such a maritime cluster at GIFT City in the state capital Gandhinagar through its subsidiary Gujarat Ports Infrastructure and Development Company Ltd (GPIDCL). ● It is an agglomeration of firms, institutions, and businesses in the maritime sector that are geographically located close to each other. ● This concept is new to India, but these clusters have been driving some of the most competitive ports of the world like Rotterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Oslo, Shanghai, and London.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM- KUSUM) ● Released under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ● The scheme was launched to help farmers install solar pumps, grid connected solar power and other renewable power plants. ● Initially the target of the scheme was set to achieve 25,720 MW by 2022. ● Three components of the scheme ○ Component A: To install 10,000 MW of decentralised ground mounted grid connected renewable power plants. ○ Component B: To install 17.5 lakh standalone solar power agricultural pumps with capacity up to 7.5 HP. ○ Component C: To solarise 10 lakh grid connected agriculture pumps.

Measures on Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 ● The government has announced a fresh set of measures, worth around Rs. 1.2 lakh crore, to boost job creation, provide liquidity support to stressed sectors and encourage economic activity in housing and infrastructure areas. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 69

● The measures have been announced under Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0. The recent announcement of Expansion of Production Linked Incentives (PLI) Scheme to 10 more sectors is also a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0.

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Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana ● Aim: It is aimed at incentivising the creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid-19 economic recovery phase. ● Government Contribution: It will provide subsidy for provident fund contribution for adding new employees to establishments registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). ○ The organisations of up to 1000 employees would receive employee’s contribution (12% of wages) & employer’s contributions (12% of wages), totalling 24% of wages, for two years. ○ Employers with over 1,000 employees will get employees’ contribution of 12%, for two years. ○ The subsidy amount under the scheme will be credited upfront only in Aadhaar- seeded EPFO accounts (UAN) of new employees. ● Eligibility Criteria for Establishments: Establishments registered with EPFO will be eligible for the benefits if they add new employees compared to the reference base of employees as in September 2020.

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○ Establishments, with up to 50 employees, would have to add a minimum of two new employees. ○ The organisations, with more than 50 employees, would have to add at least five employees. ● Target Beneficiaries: ○ Any new employee joining employment in EPFO registered establishments on monthly wages less than Rs. 15,000. ○ Those who left their job between 1st March to 30th September and are employed on or after 1st October. ● Time Period: The scheme will be effective from 1st October, 2020 and operational till 30th June 2021.

IFSC submits its report on Capital Market to IFSCA Key Recommendations ➢ Banking ● Permit retail participation by Indians (residing in the country) including LRS investments and enable IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) to provide banking products and solutions to retail/ individual clients. ● To enable Wealth management capabilities in IBU by allowing investments in different markets. ● To permit IBUs for offering foreign currency (FCY) clearing services from the IFSC and setting up a central clearing mechanism in the IFSC for the same. ● To permit IFSC Banking Units for obtaining FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investor) license and investing in rupee-denominated corporate bonds, Government Securities (G-Secs), and other permissible rupee-denominated securities. ● To permit IBUs to finance Indian exporters for pre-shipment in foreign currency in addition to post shipment. ● To permit IBUs for opening current account (including Escrow account) for all entities willing to do so. ● To remove the requirement of maintaining liquidity ratios.

#Target_shots Addition ➢ Insurance ● To permit Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)/Non-resident Indians (NRIs) for buying Life Insurance policies from companies set up in the IFSC for themselves as well as their family members based in India and abroad and also allowing them to pay premium in the currency as per their choice (also including Indian currency). ● To allow insurance companies for offering health insurance products to PIOs/NRIs covering their family members based in India. ● To allow Insurers to set up subsidiaries in IFSC for promoting business. ● To reduce Net Owned Funds (NOF) requirement to INR 5 billion in order to promote mid- sized foreign reinsurers for setting up base in the IFSC.

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● To allow Indian investors to set up direct and reinsurance companies with lower capital requirements for promoting insurance abroad. ● To encourage foreign reinsurance brokers for setting up base in IFSC.

➢ Asset Management and Capital Markets ● To permit resident individuals for investing in Mutual Funds (MFs) or Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in IFSC through LRS route. ● To permit resident individuals for investing in companies listed on the IFSC exchanges through the LRS route. ● To develop a framework for allowing Indian or foreign issuers to raise debt or equity in IFSC. ● To allow wholly owned subsidiaries of banks to operate as Clearing /Trading Members without setting up a separate company. ● To implement simple and practical separate safe harbor regime for IFSC Fund Managers. ● To develop a payment system for USD and other foreign currency settlements in IFSC. ● To allow hybrid structures like a Variable Capital Company (VCC) to manage funds in the IFSC. ○ International Financial Services Centres Authority was launched by the government of India to regulate all the financial services at IFSC. Injeti Srinivas is the Chairman of IFSCA.

International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) ● An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the domestic economy. ● Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders. ● London, New York and Singapore can be counted as global financial centres. Services an IFSC can provide: ● Fund-raising services for individuals, corporations and governments. ● Asset management and global portfolio diversification undertaken by pension funds, insurance companies and mutual funds. ● Wealth management. ● Global tax management and cross-border tax liability optimization ● Global and regional corporate treasury management operations that involve fund-raising, liquidity investment and management and asset-liability matching. ● Risk management operations About India: ● The SEZ Act 2005 allows setting up an IFSC in an SEZ or as an SEZ after approval from the central government. ● The first IFSC set up at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar.

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IFSCA: International Financial Services Centres Authority ● A body launched by the government of India to modulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs). ● The authority modulates financial products like deposits, financial services, securities and financial institutions approved by regulators like RBI and SEBI. ● IFSCA is headquartered in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Primary vs. Secondary Market ● The primary market is where securities are created, while the secondary market is where those securities are traded by investors. ● In the primary market, companies sell new stocks and bonds to the public for the first time, such as with an initial public offering (IPO). ● The secondary market is basically the stock market and refers to the BSE, NSE, New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq, etc.

LIQUIDITY TRAP ● A liquidity trap is a contradictory economic situation in which interest rates are very low and savings rates are high, rendering monetary policy ineffective. ● It leads to a scenario where any additional money supply that is generated in the economy get channeled towards savings rather than investment thus rendering the economy to remain at same liquidity level.

PM KUSUM scheme ● PM KUSUM : Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan ● What is it ?: It is a scheme for farmers which aim to install solar pumps, grid-connected solar and other renewable power plants across the country. ● Implemented by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ● Approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) ● PM KUSUM consists of 3 components- ○ Component A - 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Power Plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW. ○ Component B- Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP ○ Component C- Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.

National Solar Mission (NSM) ● Initiative of the Government of India and State Governments ● to promote solar power in India. ● Inaugurated in January 2010, the JNNSM has been revised twice and now boasts a target of 100 GW of solar PV by 2022. Objective

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● To establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating the policy conditions for its deployment across the country. Each Phase is supported by differing key policies and targets. Phases under the Mission ● Phase I (2010 – 2013): ○ Target for grid-connected PV (including rooftop) target: 1 000 MW ○ The target for off-grid solar PV applications: 200 MW ● Phase II (2014 – 2017): ○ Cumulative target for grid-connected solar PV (including rooftop): 4 000 – 10 000 MW ○ The target for off-grid solar PV applications: 1 000 MW ○ Scheme for at least 25 solar parks (34 approved currently under Government) and the Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects to target 40 GW solar PV ● Phase III (2017 – 2022) ○ The cumulative target for grid-connected solar PV (including rooftop): 100 000 MW ○ The target for off-grid solar PV applications (as share of cumulative): 2 000 MW.

Rewa Solar Project ● This project comprises of three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500- hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park (total area 1500 hectare). ● The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a Joint Venture Company of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a PSU. ● The Project was the first solar project in the country to break the grid parity barrier. ● This project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to approx. 15 lakh ton of CO2 per year.

Technical Recession ● The Reserve Bank of India has said that India has entered a “technical recession” in the first half of 2020-21 , for the first time in its history About Technical Recession ● What is it? : It is a term used to describe two consecutive quarters of decline in output. In the case of a nation’s economy, the term usually refers to back-to-back contractions in real GDP. ● When does Technical Recession occur?: It is most often caused by a one-off event (in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns imposed to combat it) and is generally shorter in duration. ● Difference between Technical Recession and Recession?: The technical recession is mainly used to capture the trend in GDP but the Recession encompasses an appreciably more broad-based decline in economic activity that covers several economic

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variables including employment, household and corporate incomes and sales at businesses.

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Slowdown vs Recession vs Depression ● Slowdown simply means that the pace of the GDP growth has decreased. During slowdown, the GDP growth is still positive but the rate of growth has decreased. ● Recession refers to a phase of the downturn in the economic cycle when there is a fall in the country’s GDP for two quarters. It is a period of decline in total output, income, employment and trade, usually lasting six months to a year. ● Depression is a prolonged period of economic recession marked by a significant decline in income and employment. It is a negative GDP growth of 10% of more, for more than 3 years.

About Recession: ● Recession is a term used to signify a slowdown in general economic activity. In macroeconomics, recessions are officially recognized after two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth rates. Inflation ● Inflation refers to the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc. ● Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time. ● Inflation is indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power of a unit of a country’s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.

Inflation targeting ( IT ) ● A central bank commits to keeping inflation below a certain threshold and use tools like interest rates and other ● liquidity adjustment measures to achieve this objective while maintaining growth. For example, if inflation is high, ● RBI can increase the Repo rate which decreases the available liquidity in the market and consequently the Inflation. ●

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Types of Inflation ● The different types of inflation in an economy can be explained as follows: A. Demand-Pull Inflation ● This type of inflation is caused due to an increase in aggregate demand in the economy. ● Major reasons to support the statement are stated below:

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○ A growing economy or increase in the supply of money – When consumers feel confident, they spend more and take on more debt. This leads to a steady increase in demand, which means higher prices. ○ Asset inflation or Increase in Forex reserves- A sudden rise in exports forces a depreciation of the currencies involved. ○ Government spending or Deficit financing by the government – When the government spends more freely, prices go up. ○ Due to fiscal stimulus ○ Increased borrowing ○ Depreciation of rupee B. Cost-Push Inflation ● This type of inflation is caused due to various reasons such as: ○ Increase in price of inputs ○ Hoarding and Speculation of commodities ○ Defective Supply chain ○ Increase in indirect taxes ○ Depreciation of Currency ○ Crude oil price fluctuation ○ Defective food supply chain ○ Low growth of Agricultural sector ○ Food Inflation (growth agriculture sector has been averaging at 3.5%) ○ Interest rates were increased by RBI ● Cost pull inflation is considered bad among the two types of inflation. Because the National Income is reduced along with the reduction in supply in Cost-push type of inflation.

C. Built-in Inflation ● This type of inflation involves a high demand for wages by the workers which the firms address by increasing the cost of goods and services for the customers.

RBI’s debt restructuring scheme ● Why in news?: Rating agency Crisil has said that as many as 99% of companies rated by it were unlikely to opt for the one-time debt restructuring scheme. ● RBI set up a committee headed by K.V. Kamath on restructuring of loans impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic ● Purpose: The Committee was tasked to recommend parameters for one-time restructuring of corporate loans. ● Eligibility: Only those borrowers will be eligible for restructuring whose accounts were classified as standard and not in default for more than 30 days with any lending institution as on 1st March, 2020.

Recommendations made by the Committee:

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● Graded approach to restructuring of stressed accounts based on severity of the impact on the borrowers- Banks can classify the accounts into mild, moderate and severe as recommended by the committee. ● Five financial parameters to gauge the health of sectors facing difficulties- total outside liabilities to adjusted tangible networth, total debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda), debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), current ratio and average debt service coverage ratio (ADSCR). ● 26 sectors have been identified including auto, aviation, construction, hospitality, power, real estate and tourism. Applicability of these recommendations: ● The committee was to scrutinise restructuring of loans above ₹1500 crore. ● The resolution under this framework is applicable only to those borrowers who have been impacted on account of Covid. ● Only those borrowers which were classified as standard and with arrears less than 30 days as at March 1, 2020 are eligible under the Framework.

Why these measures were necessary? How serious is the debt problem? ● Corporate sector debt worth Rs 15.52 lakh crore has come under stress after Covid-19 hit India, while another Rs 22.20 lakh crore was already under stress before the pandemic. ● This effectively means Rs 37.72 lakh (72% of the banking sector debt to industry) remains under stress. ● This is almost 37% of the total non-food bank credit. ● Besides, Companies in sectors such as retail trade, wholesale trade, roads and textiles are facing stress. Sectors that have been under stress pre-Covid include NBFCs, power, steel, real estate and construction.

Credit Rating Agency ● A credit rating agency (CRA) is a company that rates debtors on the basis of their ability to pay back their interests and loan amount on time and the probability of them defaulting. ● These agencies may also analyze the creditworthiness of debt issuers and provide credit ratings to only organizations and not individuals consumers. ● The Big Three Agencies: The global credit rating industry is highly concentrated, with three agencies—Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch—controlling nearly the 95% of market. ● Six credit ratings agency of India: Registered under SEBI namely, CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, SMERA, Fitch India and Brickwork Ratings.

Open Acreage Licensing Policy ● The Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) replacing the erstwhile New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was approved in March 2016

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● The Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) along with the National Data Repository (NDR) were launched in June 2017 as the key drivers to accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&P) activities in India. ● Under OALP, companies are allowed to carve out areas they want to explore oil and gas in. Companies can put in an expression of interest for any area throughout the year but such interests are accumulated thrice in a year. The areas sought are then put on auction. ● The successful roll-out of the HELP regime, followed by OALP Bid Rounds, has led to an increase in exploration acreages in India. ● The exploration acreage which stood at about 80,000 sq. km. from earlier regimes now stands at approx. 2,37,000 sq. km., post the award of blocks under OALP Round-V. ● The OALP has helped in removing red-tapism and brought in a quantum jump in the Exploration & Production sector.

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Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy ● Under this Policy, exploration blocks shall be awarded on a continuous basis through e- bidding in a transparent manner. ● Features: ● Revenue sharing model instead of Profit sharing for hydrocarbon exploration. ● Under revenue sharing model, the government share accrues immediately on production, unlike in cost-recovery where the contractors first claimed its costs before splitting leftover profits, if any. ● Unified license for all types of hydrocarbons. ● Freedom to carve out acreages of choice under OALP bid rounds. ● Full marketing and pricing freedom of gas.

First Green Energy Convergence Project ● India’s first convergence project to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in Goa. ● Initiative by: Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, and Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the same. About Project: ● Focus: It focuses on energy solutions that lie at the confluence of renewable energy, electric mobility and climate change. ● How will the project benefit Goa?: Goa had set a target of generating 150 MW of green energy in next three years. Also, it has plans to set up 100 MW of solar power plants. ● Objective: It seeks to connect seemingly independent sectors like Solar Energy, Energy Storage and LED lights to provide solutions, which can enable in decarbonisation and affordable energy access.

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● Mechanism: ○ EESL is offering convergent interventions, which solve multiple gap areas in the energy ecosystem. ○ Solutions such as solarised agriculture feeders, LED street lights in local villages and battery energy storage systems. ○ Leveraging the carbon financing mechanism to rapidly strengthen rural infrastructure in a clean and sustainable manner, and to create a resilient and sustainable rural community in India. ○ EESL’s climate financing interventions currently include Gram UJALA, Decentralised Solar and Gram Panchayat Street Lights programmes.

Benefits of the Project: ● Promote Renewable Energy: It will accelerate the usage of renewable energy sources, especially for agricultural and rural power consumption in the State. ● Energy Efficient: Contribute to reduction of peak energy demand through deployment of energy efficient pumping and lighting thus contributing to overall sustainability. ● Improve Health of DISCOMs: Accrue savings of Rs 2,574 crores to the State over the period of 25 years, while improving the health of DISCOMs and providing cleaner power. ● Check Technical Losses: Provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump sets which would reduce the power consumption as well as T&D (Transmission and Distribution Losses) losses associated with transmitting power to agriculture and rural feeder networks.

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Energy Efficiency Services Limited ● Founded in 2009. ● It is a joint venture of four national Public-Sector Undertakings ○ 1. NTPC Limited, ○ 2. Power Finance Corporation Limited, ○ 3. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited and ○ 4. POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited. ● It was set up under the Ministry of Power to facilitate implementation of energy efficiency projects. ● EESL is a Super-Energy Service Company (ESCO), which enables consumers, industries, and governments to effectively manage their energy needs through energy- efficient technologies. Reserve Bank Innovation Hub ● Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has announced the setting up of an Innovation Hub under the chairmanship of Kris Gopalakrishnan. ● The RBI set up the hub to promote, support and hand-hold cross thinking. ● The hub will aim to increase the use of innovative technologies across the finance sectors.

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● The hub acts as a centre for incubation and ideation of new capabilities that can be leveraged to create innovative financial services and products. ● The hub will aid in achieving the following objectives è ○ Efficient Banking services. ○ Deepen Financial Inclusion. ○ Strengthen consumer protection. ○ Business Continuity in times of emergency. Features: ● The Hub will collaborate with financial sector institutions, technology industry and academic institutions and coordinate efforts for exchange of ideas and development of prototypes related to financial innovations. ● It would also develop internal infrastructure to promote fintech research and facilitate engagement with innovators and start-ups. Kris Gopalakrishnan Committee ● The Committee was formed by the Ministry of Information Technology in September 2019. It submitted a report on Non-Personal Data Governance Framework in July 2020.

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) History ● The concept of Reserve Bank of India was based on the strategies formulated by Dr. Ambedkar in his book named “The Problem of the Rupee – Its origin and its solution”. ● This central banking institution was established based on the suggestions of the “Royal Commission on Indian Currency & Finance” in 1926. This commission was also known as Hilton Young Commission. ● In 1949, the Reserve Bank of India was nationalized and became a member bank of the Asian Clearing Union. ● 1934 : The British enacted the Reserve Bank of India Act ● 1935: Reserve Bank of India was established on 1st of April in Calcutta ● 1937: Reserve Bank of India was permanently moved to Mumbai ● 1949: Got nationalized after independence. The bank was held by private stakeholders before this. Composition of RBI ● Reserve Bank of India is controlled by a central board of directors. The directors are appointed for a 4-year term by the Government of India in keeping with the Reserve Bank of India Act. ● The Central Board consists of: ○ Governor (Know the list of RBI Governors here.) ○ 4 Deputy Governors ○ 2 Finance Ministry representatives ○ 4 directors to represent local boards headquartered at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and New Delhi

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● The executive head of RBI is Governor. ● The Governor is accompanied by 4 deputy governors. ● The First Governor of RBI was Sir Osborne Smith and the First Indian Governor of RBI was CD Deshmukh. ● The First woman Deputy Governor of RBI was KJ Udeshi. ● The only Prime Minister who was the Governor of RBI was Manmohan Singh. ● RBI has four zonal offices: New Delhi for North, Chennai for South, Kolkata for East, and Mumbai for West.

DIPAM ● DIPAM: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management ● Why in news?: Under the agreement, the World Bank will provide advisory services on asset monetization. ● What is Asset Monetisation?: Asset Monetisation is creating new sources of revenue by unlocking underutilized or unutilised public assets. ○ The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government CPSEs (central public sector enterprises) under strategic disinvestment. ○ The government has set a target of raising Rs 2.10 lakh crore from disinvestment in the current financial year. Of this, Rs 1.20 lakh crore is to be raised through CPSE disinvestment. ● DIPAM is to facilitate monetization of non-core assets and enemy property of Rs 100 crores. There are plans to sell minority stakes in LIC. ● What is enemy property? ○ During the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, people migrated from India to Pakistan. Under the Defence of India Act, 1962, the Government of India took over the properties of these people who chose Pakistani nationality. These are enemy properties. They are vested by the Government of India under the Enemy Property Act. First Solar Powered Textile mill in Asia ● The mill is located in Parbhani district of Maharashtra. ● The mill is spread across 30 acres of land. ● It processes cotton to cloth. The mill does ginning, pressing, weaving and spinning of cotton. ● Parbhani district of Maharashtra is the leading cotton producing district in the state. ● Majority of the farmers in the state grow cotton and producing cotton is seen as a profitable investment in the state.

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Solar Energy Scheme for Powerlooms ● The scheme was announced by the Ministry of Textiles in 2018

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● Under the scheme, the Government will provide assistance for installation of solar power plant to address power shortage issues. ● The scheme provides financial assistance in the form of capital subsidy to small Powerloom units. ● Under the scheme, the mills can install on-grid solar power plants and off-grid solar power plants.

Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) ● LibTech India had recently conducted a study on MGNREGS. The report was released recently. Key findings: ● For most rural workers dependent on the MGNREGS, their labour does not end at the work site. Many of them are forced to make multiple trips to the bank, adding travel costs and income losses, and face repeated rejections of payment, biometric errors and wrong information, just to get their hands on their wages. ● Even in regular times, these last mile challenges make it hard for workers to access their own wages in a timely manner. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is exacerbated as transport becomes harder, and there is no question of physical distancing at a rural bank.

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About MGNREGA

● The scheme was introduced as a social measure that guarantees “the right to work”. ● The key tenet of this social measure and labour law is that the local government will have to legally provide at least 100 days of wage employment in rural India to enhance their quality of life. Key objectives: ● Generation of paid rural employment of not less than 100 days for each worker who volunteers for unskilled labour. ● Proactively ensuring social inclusion by strengthening livelihood base of rural poor. ● Creation of durable assets in rural areas such as wells, ponds, roads and canals. ● Reduce urban migration from rural areas. ● Create rural infrastructure by using untapped rural labour. Eligibility criteria for receiving the benefits under MGNREGA scheme: ● Must be Citizen of India to seek MGNREGA benefits. ● Job seeker has completed 18 years of age at the time of application. ● The applicant must be part of a local household (i.e. application must be made with local Gram Panchayat). ● Applicant must volunteer for unskilled labour.

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Key facts related to the scheme: ● Implementation: The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments. ● Individual beneficiary-oriented works can be taken up on the cards of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, small or marginal farmers or beneficiaries of land reforms or beneficiaries under the Indira Awaas Yojana of the Government of India. ● Within 15 days of submitting the application or from the day work is demanded, wage employment will be provided to the applicant. ● Right to get unemployment allowance in case employment is not provided within fifteen days of submitting the application or from the date when work is sought. ● Social Audit of MGNREGA works is mandatory, which lends to accountability and transparency. ● The Gram Sabha is the principal forum for wage seekers to raise their voices and make demands. ● It is the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat which approves the shelf of works under MGNREGA and fix their priority.

Government Initiatives to Promote Technology

Digital India Mission: ● Launched in 2015, ● Objective: to prepare India for a knowledge future for being transformative that is to realise IT (Indian Talent) + IT (Information Technology) = IT (India Tomorrow) and for making technology central to enabling change. ● Vision areas: ○ Digital infrastructure as Utility to Every Citizen ○ Governance and services on demand ○ Digital empowerment of citizens ● Nine pillars of Digital India ○ Broadband Highways ○ Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity ○ Public Internet Access Programme ○ e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology ○ e-Kranti - Electronic Delivery of Services ○ Information for All ○ Electronics Manufacturing ○ IT for Jobs ○ Early Harvest Programmes

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ● It is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a smartphone.

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National Digital Health Mission: ● The NDHM is a complete digital health ecosystem. ● Implementing Agency: the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. ● Four key features: The digital platform will be launched with four key features — health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry. ● Other services include: At a later stage, it will also include e-pharmacy and telemedicine services, regulatory guidelines for which are being framed. ● Access: Platform will be available in the form of an app and website.

Swamitva Scheme: ● The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ● It stands for survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village area. ● The scheme will use latest technologies such as drones to measure the inhabited lands in villages and rural areas. ● The drones will provide data to create digital map of every property in each Indian village. ● Based on these data collected property cards are to be provided to the respective owners

PM-KISAN Mobile App: ● It enables direct transfers to farmers and also digitises the complete database of farmers. ● The farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections of their Aadhaar cards and also check the history of credits to their bank accounts.

Ayushman Bharat Programme ● Launched in 2018 to address health issues at all levels – primary, secondary, and tertiary. ● Scheme is implemented by the National Health Authority ● The flagship health insurance scheme in order to provide cashless health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh ● Two components: 1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS): will cover the financial protection for availing healthcare services at the secondary and tertiary levels 2. Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs): aimed at improving access to cheap and quality healthcare services at the primary level.

Aarogya Setu App: ● India's first contact tracing app, Arogya Setu app is based on the idea of ‘technological solutionism’ (technology providing an impartial solution to complex social problems).

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● It enables bluetooth based contact tracing and maps likely hotspots of Covid-19 and disseminates the relevant information.

Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme ( PM-FME ) ● The scheme was launched under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan ● Implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing. ● It is a centrally sponsored scheme. ● The scheme is to be implemented over a period of five years between 2020-21 and 2024-25. ● It aims to assist two lakh micro food processing units to provide technical, financial and business support to upgrade the existing micro food processing enterprises.

Operation Calypso ● Launched by Directorate of Revenue intelligence (DRI) ○ The Directorate is run by the officers of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. It Is one of the major intelligence agencies of India. ● The Operation Calypso has busted an international drug smuggling racket with the seizure of over half a kg of cocaine couriered from Trinidad & Tobago to Mumbai. ● The operation being carried out by DRI has thrown up a sophisticated cartel of international drug smugglers. ● The Operation Calypso shown DRI’s commitment to fighting international drug cartels and ability to plan and execute complex operations.

The NDPS Act ● The Narcotic Control Bureau was set up in 1986 under the act. ● Also, the act fulfils obligations of treaties signed by India. ● India has signed the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Convention on Psychotropic Substances. ● Controlled substances: The NDPS act controls and bans around 237 substances. ● Essential Narcotic Drugs: In 2014, the NDPS Act was amended and the class of Essential Narcotic Drugs was created.

Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project ● The project will help Meghalaya to emerge as the major connecting hub of trade with border countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. ● The project will cater small scale industries, agriculture areas, tourism, health and education centres. ● Currently, around 5,362 habitations in Meghalaya lack transport connectivity. It will increase access to health facilities. ● More than 500,00 inhabitants of the state will benefit in the state. ● The project is expected to generate direct employment of 8 million person days. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 85

● The project will act as a boost to “Restart Meghalaya Mission”.

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Restart Meghalaya Mission ● The Restart Meghalaya Mission was launched in August 2020 on the occasion of the 74th independence day. ● Around six projects were announced under the mission. ● A total investment of Rs 8,753 crores is to be used for infrastructure projects. ● The mission will construct 13 major roads at a cost of Rs 850 crores. ● Under the mission, 400 agricultural entrepreneurs are to be provided with power tillers at subsidised rates. ● The mission will also develop tourism.

North East road Development Projects ● The Government of India has been keen in improving connectivity in the North East Region to increase its trade. ● In 2018, Rs 1.9 lakh crores were sanctioned to build 14,000 km of roads in the North East region. ● The speed of development activities in the North East Region was increased by GoI after the stand off with China in Siliguri Corridor. ● It is a very narrow region between Bhutan and Bangladesh in the Indian soil. ● If this region is cut off, then the land connectivity with North East will get cut off. ● India has opened its inland waterways as well to increase the connectivity with the North East.

Wind-Solar Hybrid Park ● The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed a new scheme to develop Wind-Solar Hybrid Parks. ● The scheme aims to address the key issues faced by renewable energy projects. ● The Wind-Solar Hybrid park will be a concentrated zone of power projects. ● It will provide an area with the required infrastructure.This will include evacuation facilities as well. ● The evacuation areas are important to minimise the risks of the projects. ● The sites to develop the wind-solar hybrid parks are to be selected by National Institute of wind Energy ● About the parks ○ The capacity of each park is expected to be 500 MW and more. However, there are no restrictions to develop lower capacity park. In case of lower capacity parks, the capacity of the park should not be less than 50 MW ● Hybrid renewable energy usually comprises of two or more renewable energy sources combined in such a way to provide an efficient system with appropriate energy conversion technology connected together to feed power to local load or grid

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Inner Line Permit (ILP) ● What is it ?: ILP is a document required by non- natives to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system. ● At present, four Northeastern states are covered, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. ● Both the duration of stay and the areas allowed to be accessed for any non native are determined by the ILP. ● All non-natives require the permit. This was done to protect the indigenous tribal communities of these states from exploitation. ● When & Why ? ○ The Inner Line Permit is an extension of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873. ○ The Britishers framed regulations restricting entry in certain designated areas. ○ This was done to protect the Crown’s interest in certain states by preventing “British subjects” (Indians) from trading within these regions. ○ In 1950, the term ‘British subjects’ was replaced with ‘Citizens of India’. World Fisheries Day ( Oct 21 ) ● World Fisheries Day is celebrated to demonstrate solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world. ● Aim: To draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and other serious threats to the sustainability of marine and inland resources.

Importance of Fisheries Sector: ● Around 30 million to over 60 million people in the developing world are involved in inland fisheries; it is thought that about 50% are women. ● Around 65% of fish caught from inland fisheries are from low-income food deficit countries. ● More than 25% of world dietary protein is provided by the fish.

Importance of Fisheries for India: ● India is the second major producer of fish through aquaculture in the world. ● India is the 4th largest exporter of fish in the world as it contributes 7.7% to the global fish production. ● Fish constituted about 10% of total exports from India and almost 20% of agriculture exports in 2017-18. ● The fisheries and aquaculture production contribute around 1% to India’s GDP and over 5% to the agricultural GDP. ● Around 28 million people are employed in the fisheries sector in India. ● The sector has immense potential to more than double the fishers and fish farmers’ incomes, as envisioned by the government.

#Target_shots Addition

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Government's Effort to Improve Fisheries ● Establishment of Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) during 2018-19.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana ● To be implemented by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying between 2020-21 and 2024-25. ● Implementation: ● Central Sector Scheme: The project cost will be borne by the Central government. ● Centrally Sponsored Scheme: All the sub-components/activities will be implemented by the States/UTs and the cost will be shared between Centre and State. Key Features: ● Adopt ‘Cluster or Area-based Approaches’ and create fisheries clusters through backward and forward linkages.. ● Address the critical gaps in the fisheries sector and realize its potential. ● Creation of critical infrastructure including modernisation and strengthening of value chain. ● The scheme aims to enhance fish production to 70 lakh tonnes by 2024-25. ● It aims to double income of fish farmers. ● The scheme will also aim at establishing finfish hatcheries, construction of biofloc ponds, ornamental fish culture units, ice plants, installation of cages, fish feed plants, etc.

Blue Revolution Or Neel Kranti Mission ● The rapid increase in the production of fish and marine product through a package program is known as the blue revolution. ● Focuses on creating an enabling environment for integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for the socio-economic development of the fishers and fish farmers. ● Launched in 1985-1900 during the 7th Five-Year Plan. ● Main objective is to develop, manage, and promote fisheries to double the farmers’ income. ● During the 8th Five Year Plan (1992-97), the Intensive Marine Fisheries Program was launched, ● Umbrella Scheme: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries planned to restructure this scheme along with the other ongoing schemes by merging it under a single umbrella of ‘Blue Revolution’ ● India is the world’s second largest fish producer with exports worth more than 47,000 crore rupees. ● Fisheries are in fact India’s single largest agriculture export with a growth rate of 6 to 10 percent in the last five years in comparison the growth rate of the farm sector in the same period is around 2.5 percent.

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Objectives of Blue Revolution: ● Fully tapping the total fish potential of the country both in the inland and the marine sector and triple production by 2020. ● Transforming the fisheries sector as a modern industry with focus on new technologies and processes. ● Doubling the income of fishers and fish farmers with special focus on increasing productivity and better post harvest marketing infrastructure including ecommerce and other technologies and global best innovations. ● Ensuring inclusive participation of fishers and fish farmers in the income enhancement. ● Tripling export earnings by 2020 with focus on benefits flow to fishers and fish farmers and enhancing food and nutritional security of the country. Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation Initiative ( SATAT ) ● Aims to set up compressed Bio-gas production plants. ● The initiative was launched in 2018. ● Under the initiative, the CBG plants are to be set up through independent entrepreneurs. ● The targets set under the initiative are as follows ○ The ultimate goal of the initiative is to establish 5,000 plants by 2025. ● The other sub goals of the initiative are as follows ○ To establish 250 CBG plants by 2020 ○ To establish 1,000 CBG plants by 2022 ● These 5,000 biogas plants will produce 15 million tonnes of CBG per annum. This is around 40% of current Compressed Natural Gas consumption. ● Benefits of SATAT initiative ○ Additional revenue source for farmers. This will help India achieve its goal of doubling farmers income by 2022. ○ It will help to boost rural economy ○ It will help to reduce carbon emissions ○ Compressed Bio Gas will act as a buffer against oil and gas price fluctuations.

All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) ● First Central Trade Union of India and the second largest trade union federation in India after the Indian National Trade union Congress. ● AITUC formation year and place: October 31st 1920 in Bombay ● AITUC founded by : Lala Lajpat Rai ● AITUC was formed under: Indian National Congress ● AITUC politically linked : Communist Party of India (since 1945 to present)

Project Kirana ● Launched by: Mastercard and United States Agency for International Development

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● The programme will enable women entrepreneurs to grow, launch and thrive. ● What is the Plan?: Under Project Kirana, a two-year programme is to be rolled out in selected cities such as Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh. The project will work to increase revenue, digital payments and expand financial inclusion. ● Key features: The project aims to build digital literacy and financial literacy of the women in the state. It will improve business management skills of women

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ● an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. ● Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act on September 4, 1961, which reorganized U.S. foreign assistance programs and mandated the creation of an agency to administer economic aid. ● USAID was subsequently established by the executive order of President John F. Kennedy, who sought to unite several existing foreign assistance organizations and programs under one agency. ● USAID became the first U.S. foreign assistance organization whose primary focus was long-term socioeconomic development. ● Missions: USAID has missions in over 100 countries, primarily in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Scheme for Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) ● Objective : Creation of processing and preservation capacities; ● Modernisation and expansion of existing food processing units with a view to increasing the level of processing, value addition leading to reduction of wastage. ● Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Food Processing Industries. ● Implementation: Scheme is implemented through organizations such as Central & State PSUs/ Joint Ventures/ Farmer Producers Organization (FPOs)/ NGOs/ Cooperatives/ SHGs/ Pvt. Ltd companies engaged in establishment/ upgradation/ modernization of food processing units.

National Food Processing Policy ● The policy was released in 2019. ● Aims to develop food processing sector and address critical gaps hampering its growth. ● The policy aims to increase the investment in the food processing sector by six times by 2035. Key Features ● The policy aims to incentivise supply chain infrastructure of the food processing sector. ● It will identify, promote production clusters and agriculture processing units. ● The policy aims to provide capital investment subsidy and subsidies for technology upgradation of existing units.

#Target_shots Addition

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Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana ( PMKSY ) ● SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters ● In 2017, it was renamed as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY). ● A central sector scheme introduced by Ministry of Food Processing Industries ● Aiming to create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. ● Objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-Waste. ● The scheme aims at integrating existing and new schemes targeted at reducing food wastage, provide quality food to consumers at reasonable prices and at the same time doubling farmer’s income. ● SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme with its period coterminous with the cycle of 14th finance commission. It has various schemes within its gamut.

● ● Significance: ○ The implementation of PMKSY will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. ○ It will provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country. ○ It will help in providing better prices to farmers and is a big step towards doubling of farmers’ income. ○ It will create huge employment opportunities especially in the rural areas.

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Mega Food Park ● Under Ministry of Food Processing Industries since 2008. ● Aims at: providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers. ● Significance: These food parks give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables. ● Funding: A maximum grant of Rs 50 crore is given for setting up a MFP, in minimum 50 acres of contiguous land with only 50% contribution to the total project cost. ● Implemented by: a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act. ● State Government, State Government entities and Cooperatives are not required to form a separate SPV for implementation of Mega Food Park project.

Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor ● First Industrial Corridor project which was announced. ● DMIC has six participating states – U.P, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. ● DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC) incorporated in 2008, is the implementing agency for the project. ● Overall length of 1483 KMs ● Aims to construct industrial areas, towns and other facilities supported by the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to reduce logistic costs in an enabling policy framework. ● The objective is to expand India's Manufacturing & Services base and develop DMIC as a "Global Manufacturing and Trading Hub". ● The DMIC envisages to develop investment regions / industrial areas / economic regions / industrial nodes and townships along its project areas. ● Shareholding in DMICDC: Share-holding of DMICDC is: Government of India (DIPP) 49%, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) 26%, HUDCO 19.9%, IIFCL 4.1%, LIC 1.0%. ● The project would include six mega investment regions of 200 square kilometres each and will run through six states Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, Southern Haryana, Eastern Rajasthan, Eastern Gujarat, and Western Maharashtra.

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Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC): ● It is a high speed and high capacity railway corridor that is exclusively meant for the transportation of freight, or in other words, goods and commodities.

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Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC): ● Distance : 1504 kms ● Between Delhi and Mumbai will go through six states – U.P, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. ● The end terminals at Dadri in the Delhi NCR and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) near Mumbai. ○ Dadri is a part of Delhi NCR as well as UP’s Gautam Budha Nagar District. ● The DFC project is one of the Indian Railways’ largest infrastructure projects, undertaken by the government at a cost Rs. 81,459 crore.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) ● It starts at Sahnewal (Ludhiana) in Punjab and ends at Dankuni in West Bengal. ● Length : 1839 km ● Covers Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Jharkhand and West Bengal. ● The EDFC route has coal mines, thermal power plants and industrial cities. Feeder routes are also being made for these. ● Funding by World bank

● Apart from the Eastern and Western DFCs, a feasibility study has also been undertaken on four future freight corridors, viz.

➢ East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai) ➢ North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai) ➢ East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada) ➢ Southern Corridor (Goa-Chennai).

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Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL) ● DFCCIL under the Ministry of Railways is a special purpose vehicle tasked with planning and completion of 3,306 kms of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), ● MIssion: To build a corridor with appropriate technology that enables Indian railways to regain its market share of freight transport by creating additional capacity and guaranteeing efficient, reliable, safe and cheaper options for mobility to its customers.

Current Account Surplus ● A current account surplus is a positive current account balance, indicating that a nation is a net lender to the rest of the world. What is Balance of Payments (BoP)? ● The balance of payments (BoP) record the transactions in goods, services, and assets between residents of a country with the rest of the world for a specified time period typically a year. ● It represents a summation of country’s current demand and supply of the claims on foreign currencies and of foreign claims on its currency. ● There are two main accounts in the BoP – the current account and the capital account. ● Current Account:

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○ The current account records exports and imports in goods, trade in services and transfer payments. ○ It captures the net trade in goods and services, net earnings on investments, and net transfer payments over a period of time - a year or a quarter. ○ Major component: The net trade in goods and services is a major component of the current account. ○ Indication about the economy: A higher balance of the current account usually corresponds to higher exports than imports, indicating a healthy inflow of foreign exchange reserves. ● Capital Account: ○ The capital account records all international purchases and sales of assets such as money, stocks, bonds, etc. It includes foreign investments and loans. ○ ● The balance of Trade (BoT) or Trade Balance is a part of the Balance of Payments (BoP). BoT just includes the balance between export and import of goods. ○ BoP not only adds the service-trade but also many other components in the current account (Eg: Transfer payments) and capital account (FDI, loans etc). ● What is the taper tantrum? ○ Taper tantrum phenomenon refers to the 2013 collective reactionary response that triggered a spike in US treasury yields, after investors learned that the US Fed was slowly putting brakes on its quantitative easing (QE) program. This led to a surge in inflation to high double digits emerging economies.

URBAN MOBILITY INDIA (UMI) CONFERENCE ● organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ● Issued the National Urban Transport Policy, 2006 (NUTP) ● As part of the NUTP enunciations, the Ministry has taken the initiative to organize an annual international Conference-cum-Exhibition on Urban Mobility India popularly known as UMI. ● The primary objective of the conference is to disseminate information to the cities, whose officials attend the conference to help them keep up-to-date with latest and best urban transport practices globally. ● The main theme of this year’s event is “Emerging Trends in Urban Mobility” with focus on innovative measures taken at national and international level to address the challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic to provide accessible and convenient transport to the people.

Negative Yield Bonds ● What is it ?: A negative bond yield is when an investor receives less money at the bond's maturity than the original purchase price for the bond. A negative bond yield is an unusual situation in which issuers of debt are paid to borrow. ● Can be issued by central banks or governments. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 95

● Here, investors pay interest to the borrower to keep their money with them. ● In other words, the depositors, or buyers of bonds, are effectively paying the bond issuer a net amount at maturity instead of earning a return through interest income. ● Bond: Is an instrument to borrow money. A bond could be floated/issued by a country’s government or by a company to raise funds. ● Yield: The yield of a bond is the effective rate of return that it earns. But the rate of return is not fixed; it changes with the price of the bond. ○ Generally, investors purchase the bonds at their face value, which is the principal amount invested. In return, investors typically earn a yield of a bond. ○ Each bond has a maturity date, which is when the investor gets paid back the principal amount. ● Relationship between Bond Price and Yield: A bond’s price moves inversely with its yield or interest rate; the higher the price of a bond, the lower the yield. ● Negative-yielding debt issued by governments also has a spillover effect on other fixed- income securities. Even high-yield bonds, or bonds that are considered higher risk, are offering negative yields

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Why do investors buy Negative Yield Bonds? ● Pledge asset : Bonds are often used to pledge as collateral for financing and as a result need to be held regardless of their price or yield. ● Currency Gain : Some investors believe they can still make money even with negative yields. For example, foreign investors might believe the currency’s exchange rate will rise, which would offset the negative bond yield. ● Deflation Risk: Domestically, investors might expect a period of deflation, or lower prices in the economy. ● Safe Haven Assets: Investors might also be interested in negative bond yields if the loss is less than it would be with another investment.

Masala Bonds ● They are rupee-denominated bonds used by Indian companies to raise funds from the overseas market in Indian rupees. ● Eligibility for Issuance: ○ According to RBI, any corporate, body corporate and Indian bank is eligible to issue these bonds overseas. ○ These can be issued and subscribed by a resident of such country that is a member of the financial action task force (FATF) and whose securities market regulator is a member of the International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO). It can also be subscribed by multilateral and regional financial institutions where India is a member country. ● Limitations:

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○ As per the RBI guidelines, the money raised through such bonds cannot be used for real estate activities other than for development of integrated township or affordable housing projects. ○ Also, it cannot be used for investing in capital markets, purchase of land and on- lending to other entities for such activities as stated above.

Floating Rate Bond 2020 scheme ● Floating Rate Bonds are those securities which do not have a fixed coupon rate/interest rate. ● The coupon rate is re-set at the pre-announced intervals (such as, every six months or one year). ● Floating Rate Bonds were first issued in September 1995 in India. After that they have been issued many times. ● Eligibility: Any individual, not being a Non-Resident Indian; either in Individual Capacity or on a joint basis can invest in GOI Bonds. Minors through Guardian and HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) can also invest in these Bonds. ● There will be no maximum limit for investment in the Bonds. ● Income-tax: Interest on the Bonds will be taxable under the Income-tax Act, 1961 as applicable according to the relevant tax status of the Bonds holder/s. ● Amount: The Bonds will be issued for a minimum amount of Rs.1, 000/- (face value) and in multiples thereof. Accordingly, the issue price will be Rs.1, 000/- for every Rs.1, 000/- (Nominal) face value.

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Centralised Investment Clearance Cell ● Proposed by the DPIIT. ● The cell will be a one-stop digital national portal that integrates the existing clearance systems of various ministries/departments of the government and will have a single, unified application form. ● It would provide end-to-end facilitation support, including pre-investment advisory, information related to land banks and facilitating clearances at Central and state level. ● It will allow digital access to regulators, policymakers and facilitators at one point irrespective of their geographical location and also provide time-bound approvals and a real-time status update to investors. ● It will enable the potential investor to interact with all the ministries whose approvals are required, in the central government as well as in the states.

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Foreign Direct Investment ● FDI is an investment made by a firm or individual in one country into business interests located in another country. ● FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets, including establishing ownership or controlling interest in a foreign company. ● A threshold of 10 percent of equity ownership is required to qualify an investor as a “foreign direct investor”. Routes through which India gets FDI: ● Automatic Route: In this, the foreign entity does not require the prior approval of the government or the RBI. ● Government route: In this, the foreign entity has to take the approval of the government. ○ The Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIFP) facilitates the single window clearance of applications which are through approval route. ○ This portal is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

NEED of FDI ● to meet the capital need , important source to fulfill the gap between income and savings. ● It also results in technology up-gradation and efficient exploitation of natural resources along with the development of basic infrastructure. ● It is also responsible for the balance of payment conditions and helps the recipient firms to cope with competition in better ways. ● FDI is a great source of better technology and management, marketing networks and offers competition.

Foreign Portfolio Investment

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● the foreign entity merely buys equity shares of a company such as foreign stocks, bonds, or other financial assets, ● FPI does not provide the investor with control over the business.

Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) ● FII refers to the group of investors who helps to bring the FPI in a country. ● Like Pension Funds, Mutual Funds,Investment Trust,Insurance or reinsurance companies,Endowment Funds,Trustees,Bank ● It helps the recipient country companies to improve performance. ● The way through which foreign portfolio investment is to allow into the Indian stock market is foreign institutional investors. Need of FII: ● create non-debt creating foreign capital inflows and develops the Capital market in India, lower the cost of capital for Indian enterprises and indirectly improve corporate governance structures.

Sahakar Pragya ● Aim to: help primary cooperative societies play bigger roles in AtmaNirbhar Bharat, the Government has launched Sahakar Pragya, an innovative capacity building initiative for the farmers associated with such entities in the country. ● Under this, farmers in primary cooperatives in rural areas of the country would be trained under Sahakar Pragya by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), an autonomous body under the Ministry. ● Under Sahakar Pragya, forty five training modules for transferring knowledge, skills and organisational capacities have been prepared.

Essential Services Maintenance Act 1968 ● Objective: It was established to ensure the delivery of certain services, which if obstructed would affect the normal life of the people. ● Enacted by the Indian Parliament ● Services Includes: like public transport (bus services), health services (doctors and hospitals).Services related to public conservancy, sanitation, water supply, hospitals or related with the defence of the country are considered essential. Any establishment dealing with production, supply or distribution of petroleum, coal, power, steel and fertilizers also falls under the essential services category. ● ESMA gives police right to arrest without a warrant anybody violating the Act’s provisions. ● Implementation: ○ The ESMA is a law made by the Parliament of India under List No. 33 in Concurrent List of 7th Schedule of Constitution of India. ○ ESMA enables the Government to ban strikes and demand conciliation or arbitration in certain “essential” industries.

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Essential Commodity Act ● ECA was enacted way back in 1955. ● The Essential Commodity Act empowers the government to control production, supply and distribution of certain commodities. ● The list of items under the Act include drugs, fertilisers, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and petroleum products, hank yarn made wholly from cotton, raw jute and jute textiles, seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables, seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cottonseed. ● The Centre can include new commodities as and when the need arises, and take them off the list once the situation improves. ● The act is aimed at maintaining or increasing supplies and for securing the equitable distribution and fair price availability of these commodities. ● The act is also intended to work against unethical trade practices like hoarding and blackmarketing.

National infrastructure investment fund ● Set up ₹40,000 crore NIIF by Government of India in February 2015. ● Main objective: of creating the fund was to increase the investment in Greenfield and brownfield projects. ● The Indian government is investing 49% and the rest of the corpus is to be raised from third-party investors such as sovereign wealth funds, insurance and pension funds, endowments, etc. ● NIIF’s mandate includes investing in areas such as energy, transportation, housing, water, waste management and other infrastructure-related sectors in India. ● Three Funds: NIIF manages three funds namely master fund, strategic fund, fund of funds. ○ The master fund is primarily invested in in building roads, airports, ports, power, etc. ○ The fund of funds is managed by managers with good track records in infrastructure sectors. These funds mainly focus on infrastructure services and allied sectors, green infrastructure and mid income and affordable housing. ○ Strategic investment fund is an alternative investment fund and is managed by SEBI. It mainly focuses on equity and equity linked instruments. This fund is often allocated to brownfield and Greenfield investment in the core infrastructure sectors.

Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting( RE-INVEST 2020 ) ● Organised by: the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. ● The theme for 2020 is ‘Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition’. ● Objectives : ○ To Accelerate the worldwide effort to scale up development and deployment of renewable energy ○ To Connect the global investment community with Indian energy stakeholders.

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○ To provide an international forum for investment promotion in renewable energy. ● The partner countries of Re-INVEST are Australia, France, Denmark, Germany, UK, Maldives, European Union and US. ● The partner states are Gujarat, MP, HP, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

India’s Performance: ● India’s renewable power capacity is the 4th largest in the world and is growing at the fastest speed among all major countries. ● The renewable energy capacity in India is currently 136 Giga Watts, which is about 36% of our total capacity. ● India’s annual renewable energy capacity addition has been exceeding that of coal based thermal power since 2017. ● In the last 6 years, India has increased installed renewable energy capacity by two and half times.

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Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme ● Set up by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED). ● a cooperative programme for the beekeepers and honey collectors.

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● Under the programme, five farmer producer organisations are to be set up in five states. ● They are to be established in East Champaran, Bihar; Bharatpur, Rajasthan; Morena Madhya Pradesh; Mathura, Uttar Pradesh; and Sundarbans, West Bengal. ● programme has been launched under the Formation and Promotion of FPOs

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Apiculture or beekeeping ● the care and management of honey bees for the production of honey and wax. In this method, bees are bred commercially in apiaries, an area where a lot of beehives can be placed.

Formation and Promotion of FPOs Scheme ● A Producer Organisation (PO) is a legal entity formed by primary producers, viz. farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen, etc. ● FPO is one type of PO where the members are farmers. ● a new Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of 10,000 new FPOs. ● Under it, the National Level Project Management Advisory and Fund Sanctioning Committee (N-PMAFSC) had allocated FPO clusters for 2020-21 to all implementing agencies. ● Initially there will be three implementing agencies to form and promote FPOs, namely Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). ● NAFED has been appointed as the 4th national implementing agency. ● States may also, if so desire, nominate their implementing agency in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW). ● FPOs will be developed by specialist Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) engaged by implementing agencies.

Other Efforts by Government to Promote Beekeeping ● Government is promoting beekeeping as part of its aim to double farmers’ income and ensure tribal upliftment. ● The Government has allocated Rs. 500 crore towards beekeeping under the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan. ● Apiary on Wheels: It is a unique concept designed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes having live Bee colonies. ● The National Bee Board ○ a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 ○ has created four modules to impart training as part of the NBHM. ○ Training: Under it, 30 lakh farmers have been trained in beekeeping and are also being financially supported by the Government.

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○ Mini Mission 1 and Mini Mission 2 are schemes under the mission. ○ Presently NBB is implementing National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan State (HMNEM). ● Sweet Revolution: The Government launched NBHM as part of ‘Sweet Revolution’. ○ The 'Sweet Revolution' was launched in 2016 to promote beekeeping and associated activities. NAFED ● NAFED:National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) ● An apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India. ● Founded on 2 October 1958 ● to promote the trade of agricultural produce and forest resources across the nation. ● Registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act. ● NAFED is now one of the largest procurement as well as marketing agencies for agricultural products in India. ● Headquarters in New Delhi, ● Four regional offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, Functions of the NAFED ● To facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions, partners and associates in agricultural, other commodities, articles and goods ● To undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and machinery etc. ● To act as a warehouseman under the Warehousing Act and own and construct its own godowns and cold storages ● To act as agent of any Government agency or cooperative institution, for the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural, horticultural, forest and animal husbandry produce, wool, agricultural requisites and other consumer goods ● To act as an insurance agent and to undertake all such work which is incidental to the same

Shahtoot Dam ● India set to build Shahtoot Dam in Afghanistan, provide drinking water for 2 million residents of Kabul. ● The dam would come upon the Maidan river tributary of Kabul river. ● In 2016, India had funded the Salma dam across Hari river (Herat province) of Afghanistan. The dam is also called the Afghan-India Friendship Dam. ● The Shahtoot dam is to be constructed in Kabul river basin, one of the five river basins of Afghanistan. ● The dam will provide irrigation, drinking water for the Kabul province of the country. ● The cost of the project has been estimated as 305 million USD.

Other Major Projects by India in Afghanistan

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● (1) the building of Afghanistan’s Parliament in Kabul (the complex includes a library, so in that sense India did build a library in the country); ● (2) the restoration of the Stor palace in the same city; ● (3) rebuilding of the Habibia High School, also in the capital, and providing it with grants- in-aid; ● (4) reconstruction of the Salma dam, now known as the Afghan-India Friendship Dam; (5) The establishment of an electricity transmission line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul; ● (6) reconstructing the Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health/Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul (which had also been built with India’s help decades ago) and supporting it in many ways;

History of Railways ● 1832: The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras. ● 1837: The country got its first train in the form of Red Hill Railway, which was built with the sole purpose of transporting granite for road building. ● 1853: In April, India’s first passenger train, operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ran between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane. ● 1925: In February, the first electric passenger train ran between Victoria Terminus and Kurla (Mumbai). ● 1951: Indian Railways was nationalised.

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Environment.

Tardigrades

● Tardigrades are colloquially known as water bears or moss (शैवाल) piglets ● They are a phylum of water-dwelling eight-legged segmented micro-animals. ● They have been found everywhere, from mountaintops to the deep sea and mud volcanoes, from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic. ● Tardigrades are usually about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long when fully grown. They are short and plump, with four pairs of legs, each ending in claws (usually four to eight) or sucking disks.

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve ( KNPTR ) ● Evolution: ○ In 1908, Kaziranga was designated a "Reserve Forest". ○ In 1916, it was redesignated the "Kaziranga Game Sanctuary" ○ In 1950 renamed as the "Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary" ○ In 1968, declaring Kaziranga a designated national park ○ declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 ● Location: located in the edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots – Golaghat and Nagaon district. ● It hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses. ● Declared as a World Heritage Site in 1985 ● It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species. ● ‘Big four’ species in Kaziranga Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo. ● Kaziranga is crisscrossed by four main rivers — Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri. ● Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, criss-crossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water.

Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) ● Indian State Government can notify the Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in consultation with local governing bodies under Section 37 of Biological Diversity Act of 2002 ● These areas are considered unique and fragile ecosystems. They can be either terrestrial, coastal and inland waters or marine ecosystems ● Management of the BHS is the responsibility of the Biodiversity Management Committee BMC JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 107

Mansar Lake Project ● Mansar Lake Development Plan in Jammu and Kashmir was inaugurated recently. ● The project is eyed to attract almost 20 lakh tourists every year and create employment for 1.15 crore man-days with an income generation of ₹800 crore per year. ● Mansar Lake is situated 62 km from Jammu ● Surinsar-Mansar Lakes( Twin lake) are designated as Ramsar Convention in November 2005. ● The Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary is nestled in the midst of both the lakes.

Other lakes in J&K ● Dal Lake , Wular Lake, Mansabal Lake, Tso Kar Lake , Pangong Lake, Tso Moriri Lake, Surinsar & Mansar Lake

Aegean Sea ● a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 strikes Aegean Sea, shaking Turkey and Greece.

About Aegean Sea ● Located between the Greek peninsula on the west and Asia Minor on the east. ● The Aegean is connected through the straits of the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara,to the Black Sea, while the island of Cretecan be taken as marking its boundary on the south. ● The rocks making up the floor of the Aegean are mainly limestone.

Olive Ridley turtles ● Scientific Name : Lepidochelys olivacea. ● Common name: Olive Ridley, Pacific Ridley. ● Habitat: They inhabit warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. ● These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year. ● Arribada: These turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada. I.e. thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. ● The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive- ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica. ● Protection Status: ○ IUCN Red List: Vulnerable ○ CITES: Appendix I ○ Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I #Target_shots Addition

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Wildlife Institute of India (WII) ● An autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. ● HQ : Chandrabani, Dehradun. ● Functions : It conducts specialised research in areas of study like Endangered Species, Biodiversity, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Forensics, Habitat Ecology, Spatial Modelling, Ecodevelopment, and Climate Change.

Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha ● Famous for: its mangroves, migratory birds, turtles, estuarine crocodiles, and countless creeks. ● The wetland is represented by 3 Protected Areas, the Bhitarkanika National Park, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. ● River: Bhitarkanika is located in the estuary of Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Mahanadi river systems. ● It is said to house 70% of the country’s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started way back in 1975.

Travancore Tortoise: ● It is a large forest tortoise growing up to 330 millimetres in length. ● Conservation: IUCN Red list Status – vulnerable; Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule IV. ● Distribution: restricted to the Western Ghats, in the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Other Turtles in India: ● Five species of Turtles found in Indian waters i.e. Olive Ridley, Green turtle, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Leatherback. ● Vulnerable: The Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Loggerhead a ● Endangereed : Green Turtle ● Critically Endangered: The Hawksbill turtle

Green Delhi app ● Launched by Delhi Chief Minister ● Aim : To keep a check on rising air pollution in Delhi and bring pollution-causing activities to the government’s notice. ● Features: ○ The app is based on photo and video complaints. ○ The citizens can click photos or make videos of pollution causing activities such as burning of garbage, industrial pollution and dust and uploadthem on the application.

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Ammonia levels in Yamuna ● Ammonia levels reached nearly 3 parts per million (ppm) ● as per the Bureau of Indian Standards acceptable maximum limit 0.5 ppm Ammonia ● Ammonia is a colourless gas ● Uses: industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products. ● Consists of hydrogen and nitrogen. In its aqueous form, it is called ammonium hydroxide. ● This inorganic compound has a pungent smell. ● Occurrence: Ammonia occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter. ● It is lighter than air. ● If the concentration of ammonia in water is above 1 ppm it is toxic to fishes.

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River Yamuna ● The river Yamuna, a major tributary of river Ganges, ● Originates from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandarpoonch peaks in the Mussoorie range of the lower Himalayas, Uttarakhand. ● Meets the Ganges at the Sangam (where Kumbh mela is held) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh after flowing through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. ● Length: 1376 km ● Important Dam: Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam (Uttarakhand), Tajewala Barrage Dam (Haryana) etc. ● Important Tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken. ● Ecological flow is the minimum amount of water that should flow throughout the river at all times to sustain underwater and estuarine ecosystems and human livelihoods and for self regulation.

First Solar Powered Miniature Train Launched in Kerala ● Inaugurated at the Veli Tourist Village in Kerala. ● The train was part of a string of projects and around Rs 60 crore were taken up in order to elevate the facilities at the panoramic destination to international standards.

The miniature rail ● The miniature rail comprises of all the features that a fully- equipped rail system had. ● It includes a tunnel, station, and a ticket office. ● It has three bogies which can accommodate around 45 people at a time. ● The train is eco-friendly and solar-powered.

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● The 2.5 km miniature railway will enable visitors to enjoy the beauty of nature. ● The train will generate solar energy.

Solar powered Train in India ● First solar-powered DEMU (diesel electrical multiple unit) train from the Safdarjung railway station in Delhi on July 14, 2017. ● The train ran from Sarai Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in Haryana.

Project Lion ● Objective: The programme launched for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion, ● The project will involve habitat development by engaging modern technologies in management as well as in addressing the issue of diseases in lion . ● Asiatic Lion’s last remaining wild population is in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL).(Gir National Park) on August 15,2020 ● Six new sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary were identified under Project Lion ● The six new sites include: ○ Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh. ○ Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan. ○ Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan. ○ Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh. ○ Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan. ○ Jessore-Balaram Ambaji WLS and adjoining landscape, Gujarat. ● Need for relocation ○ The population in Gir has low genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to threats of extension from epidemics. ○ Lions are found in Gujarat across an area of 30,000 sq km called the Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL). ○ Besides, the 2013 Supreme Court order directed Gujarat to relocate lions to the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary.

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About Asiatic Lions: ● Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions. ● IUCN Status : Endangered ● Asiatic lions were once distributed to the state of West Bengal in east and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, in central India. ● At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the only abode of the Asiatic lion. ● In 2020: 28% rise in population of Lions: Total estimated Lions in Gir region is 674. It was 523 in 2015.

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Panna Biosphere Reserve ● UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere(MAB) programme has included Panna Biosphere Reserve to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. ● located in the state of Madhya Pradesh. ● Vegetation: Panna is characterized by forests and marshy vegetation, with an abundance of rare medicinal plants as well as other non-timber forestry products such as Kattha, gum and resins. ● Significance : It is a critical tiger habitat area and hosts the Panna Tiger Reserve, as well as the World Heritage site of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments. ● Ken river (a tributary of the Yamuna River) flows through the reserve. ● The region is also famous for Panna diamond mining. ● Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be located within the tiger reserve.

World Network of Biosphere Reserves ● The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence ● It helps in the integration of people and nature for sustainable development. ● It tries to integrate both through participatory dialogue, knowledge sharing, poverty reduction and human well-being improvements. ● It also contributes to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme ● It is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. ● It was launched by UNESCO in 1971. ● Under the programme, UNESCO has established the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments. If selected by UNESCO, they are included in the WNBR. ● There are 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries, including 21 transboundary sites ● There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India. Of these, 12 are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

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Biosphere Reserves in India ● Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large areas of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both. ● Biosphere Reserves tries to balance economic and social development and maintenance of associated cultural values along with the preservation of nature.

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Criteria ● A site must contain a protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation. ● Core area must be a bio-geographical unit and should be large enough to sustain a viable populations representing all trophic levels. ● The involvement of local communities and use of their knowledge in biodiversity preservation. ● Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of the environment. Structure of Biosphere Reserve ➢ Core Areas: ○ It is the most protected area of a biosphere reserve. It may contain endemic plants and animals. ○ They conserve the wild relatives of economic species and also represent important genetic reservoirs having exceptional scientific interest. ○ A core zone is a protected region, like a National Park or Sanctuary/protected/regulated mostly under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is kept free from human interference. ➢ Buffer Zone: ○ The buffer zone surrounds the core zone and its activities are managed in this area in the ways that help in the protection of the core zone in its natural condition. ○ It includes restoration, limited tourism, fishing, grazing, etc; which are permitted to reduce its effect on the core zone. ○ Research and educational activities are to be encouraged. ➢ Transition Zone: ○ It is the outermost part of the biosphere reserve. It is the zone of cooperation where human ventures and conservation are done in harmony. ○ It includes settlements, croplands, managed forests and areas for intensive recreation and other economic uses characteristics of the region.

● There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India. ● Of these, 12 are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. ○ These are 1) Nilgiri(First one to be included) 2) Gulf of Mannar 3) Sunderban 4) Nanda Devi 5) Nokrek 6) Pachmarhi 7) Similipal 8) Achanakmar – Amarkantak 9) Great Nicobar 10) Agasthyamala 11) Khangchendzonga (2018) and 12) Panna(2020). ● First Biosphere Reserve: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (Est. 1986) ● Largest Biosphere Reserve: Gulf of Mannar ● Smallest Biosphere Reserve: Panna

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Paris Agreement ● to reduce global greenhouse emissions in an effort to fight climate change. ● The pact seeks to keep global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius from pre- industrial levels, and to try and limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. ● To this end, each country has pledged to implement targeted action plans that will limit their greenhouse gas emissions. ● The Agreement asks rich and developed countries to provide financial and technological support to the developing world in its quest to fight and adapt to climate change. ● How does a country leave the Agreement? ○ Article 28 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to leave the Paris Agreement and lays down the process for leaving.

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○ A country can only give a notice for leaving at least three years after the Paris Agreement came into force. ● Recently The United States has formally left the Paris Agreement.

Smog ● Smog is a harmful mixture of fog, dust and air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, etc. which combine with sunlight to form a dense layer of ground- level ozone. ● On a warmer day, smog can form more quickly than otherwise. ● Ozone present high in the atmosphere is good, but when nearer to the ground, it can cause irritating health effects. Sources: ● Large amounts of coal-burning in an area ● Slash-and-burning of crops (a major source in Delhi) ● Smog-forming pollutants generate from automobile exhausts, power plants, fireworks, even paint, hairspray, charcoal starter fluid, and plastic popcorn packaging. Type: ● Sulfurous smog Or London smog, develops due to high concentration of sulfur oxides in the air. ● Photochemical smog is produced when sunlight reacts with oxides of nitrogen and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC) in the atmosphere.

Pakke Tiger Reserve ● PTR (declared in 1999-2000) lies in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh and is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve. ● It falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. ● It is known for its amazing sightings of four resident hornbill species. ● The great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and it is ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List. Other Protected Areas in Arunachal Prades ● Talle Wildlife Sanctuary. ● Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve. ● Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary. ● Namdapha Tiger Reserve. ● Mouling National Park. ● Sessa Orchid Sanctuary.

Ecologically Sensitive Areas ● Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are located within 10 km of Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. ● ESAs are notified by the MoEFCC under Environment (Protection) Act 1986.

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● Aim: To regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas. ● The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as Gadgil Committee, and the Kasturirangan Committee, a High-Level Working Group, were constituted to conserve and protect the biodiversity of Western Ghats while allowing for sustainable and inclusive development of the region. ● They recommended that identified geographical areas falling in the six States of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu should be declared as ESA.

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Gadgil Committee ➢ It recommended that all of the Western Ghats should be declared as the ESA with only limited development allowed in graded zones. ➢ It classified the Western Ghats into ESA 1, 2 and 3 of which ESA-1 is a high priority zone where almost all of the developmental activities (mining, thermal power plants, etc) should be restricted. ➢ It also recommended the constitution of Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA), as a statutory authority under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with the powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. ➢ It was criticised for being more environment-friendly and not in tune with the ground realities.

Kasturirangan Committee: ➢ It sought to balance the development and environment protection in contrast to the system proposed by the Gadgil report. ➢ The committee’s major recommendations were: ➢ Instead of the total area of Western Ghats, only 37% of the total area to be brought under ESA. ➢ A complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESA. ➢ No thermal power projects to be allowed and hydropower projects to be allowed only after detailed study. ➢ Red industries (highly polluting industries) to be strictly banned. ➢ Exclusion of inhabited regions and plantations from the purview of ESAs making it a pro- farmer approach.

Provisions Related to Illegal Wildlife Trade ➢ Illegally exotic animals are confiscated under Section 111 of the Customs Act, 1962 which is read with the provision of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

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Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES and the Foreign Trade Policy (Import-Export Policy) of India. ➢ Also, Sections 48 and 49 of the Wildlife Protection Act prohibit trade or commerce in wild animals, animal articles or trophies.

#Target_shots Addition Blue Macaws ● It is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. ● It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species. ● IUCN Status : Vulnerable ● Appendix I of CITES

Capuchin Monkeys ● Capuchin Monkeys, also called sapajou, is a common Central and South American primate found in tropical forests from Nicaragua to Paraguay. ● They are named for their “caps” of hair, which resemble the cowls of Capuchin monks. ● IUCN status: Least concerned.

Minks ● Mink are dark-coloured carnivorous mammals from the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters and ferrets. ● More than 50 million mink a year are bred for their fur, mainly in China, Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland. ● Mink oil is used in some medical products and cosmetics, as well as to treat, preserve and waterproof leather. ● There are two extant species referred to as “mink”: the American mink and the European mink. ● The European mink: IUCN Status as Critically Endangered

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) ● The newly formed Commission on Air Quality Management, as an interim measure, has given the CPCB powers to operationalise measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on air pollution. ● The GRAP is a set of emergency measures to be implemented to control air pollution depending upon the air quality. ● Approved by the Supreme Court in 2016. ● The action plan which was formulated in 2016 and notified in 2017 for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). ● The plan was prepared by Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority. ● It works only as an emergency measure.

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● When the air quality shifts from poor to very poor, the measures listed have to be followed since the plan is incremental in nature. ● GRAP includes the measures which will be taken by different government agencies to prevent worsening of Air Quality of Delhi-NCR and prevent PM10 and PM2.5 levels to go beyond the ‘moderate’ national Air Quality Index (AQI) category. ● If air quality reaches the severe+ stage, GRAP talks about shutting down schools and implementing the odd-even road-space rationing scheme. ● The plan requires action and coordination among 13 different agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan (NCR areas).

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Environment Pollution Control Authority ● It was notified in 1998 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. ● EPCA is a Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region.

Commission on Air Quality Management ● Set up through the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020’ in October this year. ● The Commission will supersede bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. ● It will have the powers to issue directions to these state governments on issues pertaining to air pollution. ● Composition: ○ It will be a permanent body and will have over 20 members. ○ Chairperson: To be chaired by a government official of the rank of Secretary or Chief Secretary. ● Jurisdiction: Exclusive jurisdiction over the NCR, including areas in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in matters of air pollution, and will be working along with CPCB and ISRO, apart from the respective state governments

Haiderpur wetland ● The forest department in Uttar Pradesh is working along with conservation organisations to eventually make the the Haiderpur wetland in Muzaffarnagar district a Ramsar site. ● Fed by the Ganga and Solani rivers, the wetland came into existence in 1984 after the construction of the Madhya Ganga Barrage on the former. ● It is located within the boundaries of the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. ● It is an important stopover destination for winter migratory birds like the Greylag goose and the Bar-headed goose. ● The Haidepur wetland has been identified under Namami Gange, a flagship programme of the Government of India launched in 2014, as a model wetland along the Ganga.

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Popa Langur ● It is newly discovered species of primate. ● It is a lithe tree-dweller with a mask-like face framed by a shock of unruly grey hair. ● It is named after an extinct volcano Mount Popa which is home to its largest population. ● It is critically endangered with numbers down to about 200 individuals.

Operation Thunder 2020 ● India Customs intercepted (Prevented) an 18-tonne shipment of red sandalwood destined for the United Arab Emirates, during “Operation Thunder 2020”. ● Involved bodies : It is coordinated by the INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) involving law enforcement agencies in 103 countries. ● Purpose: The operation was organised against the environmental crime. ● It resulted in large seizures of protected wildlife and forestry specimens and products, triggering arrests and investigations worldwide. ● The participating countries in Operation Thunder 2020 focused mainly on the species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Amur Falcon ● Nagaland is known as the Falcon Capital of the world. ● Amur Falcons are long distance migratory birds. ● They arrive in Manipur and Nagaland for roosting. ● They are Siberian birds that reach the North East for about two months at the onset of winter. ● After winter, they leave for South Africa. ● They traverse over 29,000 km migratory route between Siberia and South Africa. ● Conservation Status: ○ The IUCN status : “Least Concern”. ○ They are protected under the “Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972”. ○ They are also protected under the Convention on Migratory Species to which India is a signatory. ● The Amur Falcons spend around three to four weeks in India. ● They build up fat reserves by foraging on termites that emerge during this time. ● Thus, this stoppage is highly important for the birds as they then fly non-stop for more than six days to cross Arabian sea. ● The Amur Falcon get their name from the tenth longest river of the world called the Amur river. The river forms border between China and Russia.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research ● SAFAR is a system to measure the air quality of a metropolitan city. It measures the overall pollution level and the location-specific air quality of the city.

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● Developed by : Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. ● Operationalized by: India Meteorological Department (IMD). ● Objective: ○ To provide Real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with colour coding along with 72-hour advance weather forecast; ○ To issue Health advisory to prepare citizens well in advance. ● Parameters monitored: Pollutants: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Ozone, CO, NOx (NO, NO2), SO2, Methane (CH4), Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), Black Carbon, VOC’s, Benzene and Mercury. ● Meteorological Parameters: UV Radiation, Rainfall, Temperature, Humidity, Wind speed, Wind direction, solar radiation.

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Air Quality Index (AQI): ● The AQI classifies air quality of a day considering criteria pollutants through colour codes and air quality descriptor. Further, it also links air quality with likely human health impacts. ● Launched in 2014 with outline ‘One Number – One Color -One Description’ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity. ● Measures eight major pollutants : particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead. ● AQI has six categories of air quality. These are: Good, Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe. ● It has been developed by the CPCB in consultation with IIT-Kanpur and an expert group comprising medical and air-quality professionals. New Ramsar Sites ● Meteor lake at Lonar in Buldhana district of Maharashtra and the Soor Sarovar at Agra have been declared Ramsar sites ● Total number of Ramsar sites in India is 41, the highest in South Asia.

About Lonar Lake Or Lonar Crater ● Location: Deccan Plateau’s volcanic basalt rock, was created by the impact of a meteor 35,000 to 50,000 years ago. ● The lake is part of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary which falls under the unified control of the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR). ● Notified as a National Geo-heritage Monument. ● Second Ramsar site in Maharashtra after Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary in Nashik district.

Soor Sarovar Lake ● also known as Keetham lake situated within the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, which was declared as a bird sanctuary in the year 1991.

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● Location: This lake is situated alongside river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 ● Launched by : Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) ● International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put vultures on its list of ‘critically endangered’ species. Objective: ● Drug control: ○ To ensure minimum use of Diclofenac. ○ To Prevent the poisoning of the principal food of vultures, the cattle carcasses, with veterinary NSAIDs, ○ by ensuring that sale of veterinary nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ( NSAIDs ) is regulated and is disbursed only on prescription and by ensuring that treatment of livestock is done only by qualified veterinarians. ● To establish Additional Conservation Breeding Centres along with Vulture Conservation Centres with samples and information collected from the wild analysed and stored at these centres. ● To implement the Vulture Safe Zone programme at eight different places in the country where there are existing populations of vultures. ● To launch conservation plans for the Red-headed and Egyptian vultures, with breeding programmes for both. ● The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore is the world’s largest facility within the state’s Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary for the breeding and conservation of Indian vulture species.

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The most common species of vultures in South Asia:

● Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), also known as the Indian vulture. ● White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus). ● Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris). ● Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvushave). ● Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) ● The consortium of like-minded, regional and international organizations, created to oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asia’s vultures. ● Objective: To save three critically important species from extinction through a single programme. ● SAVE partners: Bombay Natural History Society, Bird Conservation Nepal, RSPB (UK), National Trust for Nature Conservation (Nepal), International Centre for Birds of Prey (UK) and Zoological Society of London.

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Parambikulam Tiger Reserve ● It is a well protected ecological portion in the Nelliampathy-Anamalai landscape of the Southern Western Ghats in India. ● It is located in the Palakkad District of Kerala. ● It was declared as Tiger Reserve during 2008-09. ● The reserve is credited with the first scientifically managed teak plantation in the world which was later merged with the forest land. ● It has the world's largest and oldest teak tree named "Kannimara", which is believed to be 350 years old. ● Why in news?: Protest against Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project in Kerala, in the buffer zone of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (PTR) and will also create a 5.617- km-long tunnel within the forest.

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Kadar Tribe ● Location: The Kadar is a small tribe of southern India which lives in the hilly border region the cities of Cochin and Coimbatore in the states of Kerala and TamilNadu, respectively. ● The Kadar people live in the forests and have not been observed to practice any form of agriculture. ● They build their shelters with thatch leaves which are temporary and they keep shifting location as demand by their employment. ● The Kadar worship the jungle spirits. ● While the Kadar tribe has been listed as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Kerala

Athirapally Hydel Electric Project ● In June 2020, the Kerala government approved the Athirapally Hydro Electric Project (AHEP) on the Chalakudy river in Thrissur district of Kerala. ● It will come up in the buffer zone of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (PTR) and will also create a 5.617-km-long tunnel within the forest. ● The total installed capacity of AHEP is 163 MW. ● Kerala state government has given a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for a period of seven years and has permitted it to proceed with the project’s implementation. ● Concern: It has also been facing opposition and protests due to its adverse effects on the fragile river ecosystem at Athirappilly and the other related environmental threats.

Chalakudy River: ● The river has its origin in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu and is the 4th longest river in Kerala. ● The river flows through Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulum Districts of Kerala.

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● The famous waterfalls, Athirappally Falls and Vazhachal Falls, are situated on this river. ● It merges with the Periyar River in Ernakulum District. ● Main tributaries are Parambikulam, Kuriarkutty, Sholayar, Karappara, and Anakayam.

Sabin’s Nellore dwarf gecko ● A new species of lizard Cnemaspisavasabinaem, commonly known as Sabin’s Nellore dwarf gecko, ● Smallest known Indian gekkonid that lives in dry evergreen forest ● Discovered in the Eastern Ghats ● Most interesting find was that the males lacked femoral pores, because, generally, most variants of lizards have femoral pores in both the sexes, and the secretions from these pores help in communication

Deemed Forests ● An expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government after the Supreme Court order (in T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) Case) identified ‘deemed forests’ as “land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership”. ● This includes: ○ Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department not handed over to the Forest Department. ○ Thickly wooded areas recommended to be handed over to the Forest Department. ○ Thickly wooded land distributed to grantees but not cultivated. ○ Thickly wooded plantations of the Forest Department. ● Deemed forests, comprising about 1% of India’s forest land, are a controversial subject as they refer to land tracts that appear to be a “forest”, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records. ● The concept of deemed forests has not even been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act 1980. ● Why in news?: Karnataka has announced that it would declassify 6.64 lakh hectares (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state and hand it over to Revenue authorities.

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Natural Vegetation of India ● Climate, soil type, topography, and elevation are the main factors that determine the type of forest. Forests are classified according to their nature and composition, the type of climate in which they thrive, and their relationship with the surrounding environment.

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India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019 ● Released by Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change ● ISFR is a biennial publication of Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change. ● The ISFR assesses the forest and tree cover, bamboo resources, carbon stock and forest fires. Key Findings

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● Forest Cover ○ Forest Cover (Area-wise) : Madhya Pradesh> Arunachal Pradesh> Chhattisgarh> Odisha> Maharashtra. ○ Forest Cover (Percentage): Mizoram (85.4%)> Arunachal Pradesh (79.63%)> Meghalaya (76.33%) ● Increase in Forest Cover ○ The country’s forest cover includes all patches of land with a tree canopy density of more than 10% and more than 1 hectare in area, irrespective of land use, ownership and species of trees. ○ The total forest cover of the country is 7,12,249 sq km which is 21.67% of the geographical area of the country. ○ The top five states to have shown an increase in forest cover include Karnataka (1,025 sq km) > Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) > Kerala (823 sq km) > J&K (371 sq km) > Himachal Pradesh (334 sq km). ● Decline of Forest Cover in North Eastern Region ○ Total forest cover in the North Eastern region is 1,70,541 sq km, which is 65.05% of its geographical area. ○ There has been a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq km (0.45%) in the region. Except Assam and Tripura, all the States in the region show decrease in forest cover. ● Increase in the tree cover ○ Tree cover comprises of tree patches of size less than 1 hectare occurring outside the recorded forest area. ○ The tree cover of the country is estimated as 95,027 sq km which is 2.89% of the geographical area. ○ Maharashtra has had the highest increase in tree cover and a large part of that is due to horticulture. ● Mangrove cover in the country has increased by 54 sq km (1.10%) as compared to the previous assessment. ● Carbon Stock: The total carbon stock of the country was estimated at 7124 million tons, which is an increase of 42.6 million tons from the last assessment. ● Wetlands: ○ The total number of wetlands located within the RFA/GW is 8.13%. ○ Amongst the States, Gujarat has the largest area of wetlands within RFA in the country followed by West Bengal. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) ● Launched by Modi in September 2019 at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York, US. ● It is a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. ● It will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs.

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Benefits and significance: ● This initiative will benefit all sections of society. ● Economically weaker sections of society, women and children, are the most vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and hence, will be benefitted from the improvement of knowledge and practice in creating disaster resilient infrastructure. ● It will also benefit all areas with high disaster risk. ● In India, the north-eastern and Himalayan regions are prone to earthquakes, coastal areas to cyclones and tsunamis and central peninsular region to droughts.

Willow warbler ● It has been sighted for the first time in the country in Thiruvanathapuram. ● It is one of the longest migrating small birds that breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic. ● IUCN Status: Least Concern. ● 17 species of warblers have been recorded from Kerala and the willow warbler forms the 18th warbler and 533rd species of bird to be recorded from the State.

White Giraffe ● The world’s only known White Giraffe was fitted with GPS tracking device in north east Kenya. ● The Giraffe is white in colour due to a rare genetic condition called Leucism. Leucism is loss of pigmentation. ● The White Giraffe was first spotted in 2016. The mother and calf had died. ● IUCN Status: Vulnerable ● India has around 30 Giraffes in eleven zoos. Apart from Zoos, there are no Giraffes in the forests of India. ● Four Species of Giraffe in the world: ○ Masai Giraffe: It lives in Tanzania and Kenya ○ Reticulated Giraffe ○ Southern Giraffe: It lives in Botswana ○ Northern Giraffe: It lives in north of Africa.

Deep Ocean Mission ● The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO about 35 years ago. ● The focus of the mission will be on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies. ● Two key projects planned in the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ report include ○ a desalination plant powered by tidal energy and ○ a submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 metres. ● Potential:

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○ India has been allotted 75,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by UN International Sea Bed Authority for exploration of poly- metallic nodules.

Lotus Silk ● one of the rarest fabrics in the world, and is only extracted by a few skilled craftspeople across the world. ● It is produced only in small scale across Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. ● Extracting enough lotus silk for one scarf can take two months, and the final product can cost 10 times as much as regular silk. ● lotus plants are only available to harvest between April and October. ● The key difference between the bright yellow silk and the paler lotus version is that every single strand of lotus silk must be extracted by hand.

INDIA CLIMATE CHANGE KNOWLEDGE PORTAL ● The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address the climate change issues. ● It will be a single-point information resource that provides information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries enabling users to access updated status on these initiatives. ● He also said that India has practically achieved its pre-2020 climate action targets.

Chang’e-5 probe lunar mission ● It is an unmanned spacecraft launched by China recently. ● It is a Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) lunar sample return mission ● The rocket is comprised of four parts: an orbiter, a returner, an ascender and a lander. ● The objective of the mission is to bring back lunar rocks, the first attempt by any nation to retrieve samples from the moon in four decades. ● It will help scientists learn about: Moon’s origins, Volcanic activity on its surface and its interior, and When its magnetic field, key to protecting any form of life from the sun’s radiation dissipated. ● If successful, China will be only the third country to have retrieved samples from the moon, following the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. ● This will help scientists learn about the moon’s origins, formation and volcanic activity on its surface. ● There will be an attempt to collect 2 kg of samples in a previously unvisited area in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean of Storms”. ● Area of the moon where the spacecraft is due to land is 1-2 billion years old.

Oceanus Procellarum or, the "Ocean of Storms" ● a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Moon.

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● It is the only one of the lunar maria to be called an "Oceanus" (ocean), due to its size. ● The region is near a site called the Mons Rumker that was believed to have been volcanic in ancient times. ● It stretches more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi) across its north–south axis and covering roughly 4,000,000 km2 accounting for 10.5% of the total lunar surface area. ●

Previous Moon Missions: ● In 1959, the Soviet Union’s uncrewed Luna 1 and 2 became the first rover to visit the Moon. ● The Apollo programme (which first put men on the moon), the United States landed 12 astronauts over six flights from 1969 to 1972, bringing back 382 kg of rocks and soil. ● In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the Moon as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. ● In 2008, India’s first lunar program Chandrayaan 1 was launched. ● In 2009, USA began a new series of robotic lunar missions with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).

Haiderpur Wetland ● Located at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh within the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. ● wetland is fed by rivers Ganga and Solani and is spread over 1,214 hectares. ● It is a home to a number of migratory birds like Greylag goose, especially during the winter season. ● Identified as a model wetland along the Ganga under Namami Gange programme launched by Government of India in 2014.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve ● Why in news?: The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was awarded for doubling its number of tigers in four years. ● Location: located in Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur Districts of Uttar Pradesh ● Notified as a tiger reserve in 2014 ● forms part of the Terai Arc Landscape in the upper Gangetic Plain along the India-Nepal border. ● The habitat is characterized by sal forests, tall grasslands and swamp maintained by periodic flooding from rivers. ● The northeastern boundary of the reserve is the River Sharda, which defines the Indo- Nepal border, while the southwest boundary is marked by the River Sharda and the River Ghaghara. ● Other Protected Areas in Uttar Pradesh: ○ Dudhwa National Park ○ Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 128

○ Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary ○ Sur Sarovar (Keethan) Bird Sanctuary ● ● Why in news?: The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR - Uttar Pradesh) has bagged international award TX2 for doubling the number of tigers in the past four years.

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TX2 Award: ● Launched by è the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) at the 2010 St Petersburg Tiger Summit,Russia. ● TX2 Award: It goes to one site that has achieved remarkable and measurable increase in its tiger population since 2010. ● Aims and Objectives: ○ To drive political momentum to ensure tigers remain top priority for world leaders, professionalise wildlife protection by training rangers. ○ To develop conservation standards and smart technology to achieve zero poaching, tackle illegal wildlife trade of Tiger through partnership with TRAFFIC. ● These awards were open to submissions from any site in a tiger range country that has achieved remarkable measurable progress since 2010. ● The tiger range countries in world: are India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Russia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Nepal ● Sites will receive a small financial grant to be used to further tiger conservation.

TX2 Goal ● The TX2 goal is a global commitment to double the world's wild tigers by 2022. ● The goal has been set by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) through the Global Tiger Initiative, Global Tiger Forum and other critical platforms. ● All 13 tiger range governments came together for the first time at the St Petersburg Summit (Russia -2010) where they committed to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.

About Tiger (Panthera Tigris) ● Conservation Status: ○ ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List ○ Listed under Appendix I of CITES. ○ Tiger has been listed under ‘Schedule I’ of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. ● Global Tiger Day is observed on 29th July across the world.

Project Tiger ● launched in 1973 with 9 tiger reserves. ● Currently 50 tiger reserves in the country

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● The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area. ● Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves. ● Nodal Agency : It works under the administrative control of the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA). ● Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442). ● Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttrakhand) had the largest population of tigers at about 231 in 2018 ● Nagpur is also known as the ‘Tiger Capital’ of India

National Tiger conservation authority (NTCA) ● A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and climate change. ● Established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger task force. ● It was constituted under enabling provisions of the wildlife (protection) act 1972, as amended in 2006. ● It is responsible for implementation of the Project Tiger to protect endangered tigers. ● All India Tiger Estimation done quadrennially(Every four year) ● NTCA has launched the M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), a mobile monitoring system for forest guards.

Global Tiger Forum ● The GTF was formed in 1993 on recommendations from an international symposium on Tiger Conservation at New Delhi, India. ● The GTF is the only intergovernmental international body established with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. ● Utilizing co-operative policies, common approaches, technical expertise, scientific modules and other appropriate programmes and controls the GTF is focused on saving the remaining 5 sub-species of Tigers distributed over 13 Tiger Range countries of the world.

Four Asian Tigers ● a term given to the economies of four countries – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. ● Driven by exports and rapid industrialization, the Four Asian Tigers have steadily retained a high rate of economic growth since the 1960s, joining the ranks of the richest countries in the world.

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Blue Tide ● The tide producing a fluorescent blue hue, popularly known as bioluminescence, recently made an appearance at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach and Devgad Beach in Sindhudurg, along Maharashtra’s coastline. Why is it caused? ● The spectacle occurs when phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, produce light through chemical reactions in proteins. ● Waves disturb these unicellular microorganisms and makes them release blue light. ● Main factors for its occurrence could be eutrophication – the reduction of oxygen in the water – which makes the phytoplanktons very dominant. ● The spectacle may be beautiful, but it may also be a signal of danger. Many of the species in this group are toxic. If dinoflagellates reproduce rapidly, they may cause so- called ‘red tides’.

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Eutrophication ● What is it?: Eutrophication refers to the addition of artificial or non-artificial substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to a fresh water system. ● It can be anthropogenic or natural. Effect of Eutrophication: ● It leads increase in the primary productivity of the water body or “bloom” of phytoplankton. The overgrowth causes the loss of oxygen in the water leading to severe reductions in fish and other animal populations. ● It creates algal bloom, releases toxic chemicals that kill fish, birds and other aquatic animals. ● Decomposition of algal bloom leads to the depletion of oxygen in water. Thus with a high CO2 level and poor oxygen through reduction of nitrates.

What is Algal Bloom? ● An algal bloom or marine bloom or water bloom is a rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system. ● Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. ● Blooms which can injure animals or the ecology are called "harmful algal blooms(HAB)" ● Harmful Algal Bloom can lead to fish die-offs, cities cutting off water to residents, or states having to close fisheries.

Red Tide: ● Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae

Lotic Ecosystems

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● They mainly refer to the rapidly flowing waters that move in a unidirectional way including the rivers and streams.

Lentic Ecosystems ● They include all standing water habitats. ● Lakes and ponds are the main examples of Lentic Ecosystem ● The word lentic mainly refers to stationary or relatively still water.

India-Finland sign MoU on biodiversity conservation ● According to the MoU, the countries will exchange their best practices in areas such as prevention of air and water pollution, waste management, low carbon solutions, sustainable management of natural resources and promotion of circular economy. ● Also, it will help the countries to develop technological, scientific and management capabilities. ● It aims to develop bilateral cooperation in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit. ● This will help in the promotion of sustainable development. Key Highlights ● The Minister of Environment Shri Prakash Javadekar made the following announcements while signing the agreement: ○ In 2020, India achieved voluntary target of reducing its emission intensity of GDP by 21% as compared to 2005 levels. ○ India has set a target of achieving 35% of reducing its carbon emissions well before the 2030 target. ○ Under Paris Agreement, India has committed to achieve 40% electric power installation based on non-fossil fuels by 2030. Also, under the agreement, India has committed to create carbon sink of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Climate Change Knowledge Portal ● Launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ● What is it?: It will be a single point Information resource which provides information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries enabling users to access updated status on these initiatives. ● Benefits: The Portal will help in disseminating knowledge among citizens about all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address climate change issues. ● Components: The eight major components included in the knowledge portal are: 1. India’s Climate Profile: The northern part of the country is characterized as a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The coastal regions of the country, however, experience warmer temperatures with little variation throughout the year and frequent rainfall.

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2. National Policy Framework: For Example In order to strengthen the implementation of environmentally sound management of hazardous waste in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has amended the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. 3. India’s Nationally determined contributions (NDC) Goals ○ NDC’s are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of these long-term goals. ○ NDC’s embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. 4. Adaptation Actions: To meet the high energy demand India is adapting to clean energy development. Example: Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission which aims to increase the share of solar energy in India. 5. Mitigation Actions: For example, to mitigate water issues Indian government launched the National Water Mission. 6. Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation: The Paris climate deal is a great example of multilateral cooperation. 7. International Climate Negotiations: In the Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015, India accepted 1.5 degrees Celsius as a target limit for the increase in the global average temperature and announced an ambitious domestic renewable energy programme. 8. Reports & Publications: For example, reports like Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

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Other Initiatives to Fight Climate Change

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): ● Launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in 2019. ● It is a five-year action plan with a tentative target of 20-30% reduction in concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 by 2024, with 2017 as the base year. ● The programme aims: ○ To expand the national air quality monitoring network. ○ To build capacity for air pollution management ○ To raise public awareness about the hazards of air pollution ● The programme will not be notified under the Environment Protection Act or any other Act to create a firm mandate with a strong legal back up for cities and regions to implement NCAP in a time bound manner for effective reduction. ● Implementation: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will execute this nation-wide programme in consonance with the section 162 (b) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

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● The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015. ● What are Non-attainment? : Non-attainment cities are those which have been consistently showing poorer air quality than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These include Delhi, Varanasi, Bhopal, Kolkata, Noida, Muzaffarpur, and Mumbai.

UJALA Scheme: ● Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All ● launched in 2015 with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED bulbs and to nullify the high-cost of LEDs that acted as a barrier previously in the adoption of energy-efficient systems. ● The scheme was implemented to set up a phase-wise LED distribution. ● The objective is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment that will reduce electricity bills and preserve the environment. ● It is the world’s largest domestic lighting project. ● Implementing Agency: The Electricity Distribution Company and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) a public sector body of Government of India are implementing the programme. ● It has distributed more than 360 million LED bulbs under the UJALA scheme, which has led to energy saving of about 47 billion units of electricity per year and reduction of 38 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

International Solar Alliance ● An alliance of 121 countries that works to tap benefits of solar power and promote clean energy applications. ● It was initiated by India. ● Launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), ● The countries between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are the main members of the alliance. ● The other countries can enjoy the benefits from the alliance, however, cannot vote. ● The ISA works on the following objectives ○ Health of the planet ○ Equity of access to energy across the planet

The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) ● Launched in 2008 ● Aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it. ● NAPCC is guided by following principles-

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○ Protection of poor and vulnerable sections of society through inclusive and sustainable development strategy, sensitive to climate change. ○ Achievements of national growth through qualitative changes enhancing ecological sustainability. ○ Deployment of appropriate technologies for both adaptation and mitigation of GreenHouse Gases emissions extensively and at an accelerated pace. ● There are 8 national missions forming the core of the NAPCC which represent multi- pronged, long term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in climate change. These are- ○ National Solar Mission ○ National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency ○ National Mission on Sustainable Habitat ○ National Water Mission ○ National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem ○ National Mission for A Green India ○ National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture ○ National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

Nationally determined contributions of India ● The following are the three national determined contributions of India ● To reduce emission intensity of GDP by about one-third by 2030 ● To achieve 40% of installed capacity of electricity from non-fossil fuel sources ● To achieve additional carbon sink of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent forest cover for tree cover by 2030.

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Science & Technology

Paramacrobiotus ● Paramacrobiotus BLR strain has a protective fluorescent shield which helps it survive harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. ● The animals with the fluorescent coat were found to survive longer than the animals without.

Asteroid 16 Psyche ● National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has found out ● Located 370 million kilometers away from earth between Mars and Jupiter and has a diameter of 140 miles. ● Psyche is a dense and largely metallic object thought to be the core of an earlier planet that failed formation. ● Psyche could be a unique asteroid composed of iron and nickel almost completely which is similar to earth's core.

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Asteroids ● Asteroids are also known as minor planets. ● They are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. ● Most asteroids are irregularly shaped, though a few are nearly spherical. ● Many asteroids are known to have a small companion moon (some have two moons). ● There are also binary (double) asteroids, in which two rocky bodies of roughly equal size orbit each other, as well as triple asteroid systems.

Classes of Asteroids: ● The three broad composition classes of asteroids are C-, S-, and M-types. ● The C-type (chondrite) asteroids are most common, probably consist of clay and silicate rocks, and are dark in appearance. They are among the most ancient objects in the solar system. ● The S-types ("stony") are made up of silicate materials and nickel-iron. ● The M-types are metallic (nickel-iron). The asteroids' compositional differences are related to how far from the sun they formed. Some experienced high temperatures after they formed and partly melted, with iron sinking to the center and forcing basaltic (volcanic) lava to the surface.

Asteroid Classifications

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1. Asteroid belt ● The asteroid belt (or the “main belt”) is the region between the orbit of Mars and the orbit of Jupiter—about 240 to 800 million kilometers away from the Sun. ● The vast majority of known asteroids orbit in this belt. ● The main belt itself is divided into thinner belts, separated by object-free zones called Kirkwood Gaps. ● The gaps are named after the American astronomer Daniel Kirkwood, who first discovered them. 2. Trojans ● These asteroids share an orbit with a larger planet, but do not collide with it because they gather around two special places in the orbit (called the L4 and L5 Lagrangian points). ● There, the gravitational pull from the sun and the planet are balanced by a trojan's tendency to otherwise fly out of the orbit. 3. Near-Earth Asteroids: ● These objects have orbits that pass close by that of Earth. ● Asteroids that actually cross Earth's orbital path are known as Earth-crossers.

Bulk drug park ● The Central Government is planning to setup three such parks across the country. ● What is it ?: A bulk drug park will have a designated contiguous area of land with common infrastructure facilities for the exclusive manufacture of APIs, DIs or KSMs, and also a common waste management system. ● Purpose: The scheme will support three selected parks in the country by providing a one-time grant-in-aid for the creation of common infrastructure facilities. ● Fundig: The Centre will provide a maximum of Rs 1,000 crore per park. ● Conditions: A state can only propose one site, which is not less than a thousand acres in area, or not less than 700 acres in the case of hill states. ● India has one of the largest pharmaceutical industries in the world (third largest by volume). ● Indian industry largely depends on other countries, particularly China, for importing APIs, DIs and KSMs.

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What is Bulk Drug ?: ● A bulk drug is also called an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). ● It is the key ingredient of a drug or medicine, which lends it the desired therapeutic effect or produces the intended pharmacological activity. ● Preparation: The primary chemical or the basic raw material which undergoes reactions to form an API is called the key starting material, or KSM.

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● Chemical compounds formed during the intermediate stages during these reactions are called drug intermediates or DIs.

Public Affairs Index-2020 ● Released by Public Affairs Centre (PAC): a not-for-profit organisation headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Kasturirangan. ● Ranking: The states were ranked on governance performance in the context of sustainable development defined by three pillars of equity, growth and sustainability. ● Larger States Category : ○ Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka stood in the first four ranks in terms of governance. ○ Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar were at the bottom of the ranking. ● Smaller States Category ○ Goa ranked first followed by Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh. ○ Manipur, Delhi and Uttarakhand were the worst performers. ● Union Territories ○ Chandigarh has emerged at the top followed by Pondicherry and Lakshadweep. ○ Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Andaman, Jammu and Kashmir and Nicobar were the worst performers.

Leishmaniasis ● It is a neglected tropical disease affecting almost 100 countries including India. ● caused by a parasite called Leishmania, which is transmitted through the bite of sand flies. ● Visceral leishmaniasis, which is commonly known as Kala-azar in India, is fatal in over 95% of the cases, if left untreated. ● Neglected tropical diseases are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries.

Fast radio bursts(FRB) detected in the Milky Way for the first time ● National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted ● NASA observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals never observed before in the Milky Way. ● The FRB was not only the closest such signal ever recorded near the Earth. It was also 3,000 times brighter than any other magnetar radio signal detected till now. ● Generation : The new study has confirmed that FRBs are generated by a rare type of neutron star known as a ‘magnetar’. ● What are Magnetars: A magnetar is a type of neutron star. ● Magnetars are the most powerful magnets in the cosmos. Their magnetic fields are 5,000 trillion times more powerful than that of the Earth.

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● Source : They came from a magnetar known as SGR 1935+2154, located about 30,000 light-years from the earth. ● It lies in the centre of the Milky Way, in the constellation Vulpecula.

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Magnetar ● As per NASA, a magnetar is a neutron star, “the crushed, city-size remains of a star many times more massive than the Sun.” ● The magnetic field of such a star is very powerful, which can be over 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet and up to a thousand times stronger than a typical neutron star’s. ● Magnetars are a subclass of these neutrons and occasionally release flares with more energy in a fraction of a second than the Sun is capable of emitting in tens of thousands of years. Neutron stars ● Formed when the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse when it reaches the end of its life. ● This results in the matter being so tightly packed that even a sugar-cube sized amount of material taken from such a star weighs more than 1 billion tons, which is about the same as the weight of Mount Everest, according to NASA.

Brown carbon ‘tarballs’ found in Himalayan atmosphere ● The percentage of the tarballs increased on days of higher levels of pollution and could contribute to hastening of glacial melt and global warming. What are Tarballs ? ● Tarballs are small light-absorbing, carbonaceous particles formed due to burning of biomass or fossil fuels that deposit on snow and ice. ● They hasten glacial melt. ● They are formed from brown carbon, emitted during the burning of fossil fuels. ● Source: Tarballs were emitted from biomass burning in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Habitable Earths or Exoplanet ● New analysis of data from Kepler Spacecraft shows a large number of habitable Exoplanets. ● An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first confirmation of detection of exoplanets occurred in 1992.

Kepler Spacecraft ● The Kepler mission was named in honor of 17th-century German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who discovered the laws of planetary motion.

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● launched in 2009 on a three-and-a-half year mission to monitor 1,50,000 stars in a patch of sky in the Milky Way. ● NASA’s first planet-hunting mission, it discovered more than 2,600 of around 3,800 exoplanets. ● It looked for tiny dips in starlight caused by an exoplanet passing in front of its home star. ● Kepler’s formal goal was to measure a number called eta-Earth: the fraction of sunlike stars that have an Earth-size object orbiting them in the “goldilocks” or habitable zone, where it is warm enough for the surface to retain liquid water.

EOS-01, India’s latest earth observation satellite: ● EOS-01 is nothing but another Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) that will work together with RISAT-2B and RISAT-2BR1 launched last year ● Henceforth all the earth observation satellites would be called EOS-series.

Earth-observation satellites ● a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and others. ● Uses : Land and forest mapping and monitoring, mapping of resources like water or minerals or fishes, weather and climate observations, soil assessment, geospatial contour mapping are all done through earth-observation satellites.

Advantages of radar imaging over optical instruments: ● Radar imaging is unaffected by weather, cloud or fog, or the lack of sunlight. It can produce high-quality images in all conditions and at all times.

Geospatial Technology ● It is an emerging field of study that includes Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). ● It enables to acquire data that is referenced to the earth and use it for analysis, modeling, simulations and visualization. ● Geospatial technologies would be central to information management in India in future and the applications of this technology can have great social as well as national relevance. Several GIS based initiatives are being implemented in India, such as: ● Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) under National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) of Planning Commission, ● National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) of the Department of Science and technology (DST), ● National Urban Information System (NUIS) of Ministry of Urban Development (MUD).

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Tinnitus ● Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. ● Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age- related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. ● Tinnitus can significantly affect quality of life. ● One may experience fatigue (थकान), stress, sleep problems, trouble concentrating, memory problems, depression, anxiety and irritability, etc. ● Although it can worsen with age, for many people, tinnitus can improve with treatment. ● Treating an identified underlying cause sometimes helps. ● Treatments may include hearing aids, sound-masking devices, medicines, and ways to learn how to cope with the noise.

Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate ● Recently, American pharma company Pfizer has claimed that its vaccine candidate BNT162b2 is more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection ● BNT162b2: It is a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) vaccine, which is made of a short segment of genetic material (the messenger RNA/mRNA) which provides instructions for a human cell to make a harmless version of a target protein, in this case the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, in order to activate an immune response.

The mRNA vaccine ● messenger RNA, which is the molecule that essentially puts DNA instructions into action. ● Inside a cell, mRNA is used as a template to build a protein. ● New approach to protecting against viral infection. ● Unlike traditional vaccines, which work by training the body to recognise and kill proteins produced by pathogens, mRNA tricks the patient's immune system to produce viral proteins itself. ● The proteins are harmless, but sufficient to provoke a robust immune response.

India Mobile Congress (IMC) ● Fourth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) was inaugurated recently. To be held virtually this year given the ongoing pandemic. ● Theme – “Inclusive Innovation – Smart I Secure I Sustainable”. ● Key Points: IMC is jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) ● The genesis of UMI is from the National Urban Transport Policy of the Government of India, 2006 (NUTP).

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● IMC is considered the largest Digital Technology Forum in Asia for bringing together the industry, Government, academia, and other ecosystem players to discuss the latest industry technology trends around major themes such as SG, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Internet of things (loT) etc

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Thirty Meter Telescope Project ● The Thirty-meter telescope (TMT) project is an international partnership between the USA, Canada, Japan, China, and India. ● It will allow deeper exploration into space and observe cosmic objects with unprecedented sensitivity ● Planned location: Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii in the US state of Hawaii. ○ It is a dormant volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Kea is considered as sacred ● Purpose: The TMT is designed for near-ultraviolet to mid-infrared observations, featuring adaptive optics to assist in correcting image blur.

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Other Global Projects with Indian Collaboration

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project ● The Indian scientists contributed in several aspects such as designing algorithms for analysis of signals from gravitational waves, estimating energy and power radiated from black holes etc. ● Now LIGO-India is a planned advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India as part of the worldwide network.

CERN Project ● India became a full Associate Member of world’s largest particle Physics laboratory CERN in 2017, thereby getting full access to data generated there. ● The contribution of Indian scientists there is mainly in building the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and construction of two significant CERN experiments, CMS and ALICE.

Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) ● FAIR is coming up at Darmstadt, Germany for studying the building blocks of matter and the evolution of the Universe. ● FAIR is a sophisticated accelerator complex that will use the high energy and ion beams to mimic the condition inside the core of the stars and early phase of the universe. ● The role of Indian scientists would be to build NUSTAR (Nuclear Structure, Astrophysics and Reactions), CBM (Compressed Baryonic Matter) and PANDA (Antiproton Annihilation at Darmstadt).

Square Kilometre Array (SKA) ● India has joined nine other countries to build the world's largest and most sophisticated radio telescope called Square Kilometre Array (SKA). ● The core of the telescope will be based in Karoo desert in South Africa. Since the total detection area of the receiver dishes would exceed 1 square kilometer, it is called Square Kilometre Array.

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International-Thermonuclear-Experimental-Reactor (ITER) ● The International-Thermonuclear-Experimental-Reactor (ITER) is focused around creating an environment mimicking the Sun in laboratory conditions using nuclear fusion. ● India’s scientists and institutions such as Institute for Plasma Research, Ahmedabad are playing an important role in this.

Sir C V Raman ● Discovered the Raman Effect and won a Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery ● Every year on 28 February, National Science Day is celebrated to pay tribute to the Nobel Laureate Dr. C.V. Raman. ● It gave further proof of the quantum nature of light. ● Raman was president of the 16th session of the Indian Science Congress in 1929. ● Venkatraman became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). ● Raman Effect: Raman conducted research about light scattering in gases, liquids and solids. He and his team used monochromatic light – sunlight that had been filtered to leave only a single color – and found that a variety of different liquids indeed changed the color of the light.

SVAMITVA Scheme ● SVAMITVA: “Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas” ● Launched on National Panchayat Day. ● Implementing Ministry: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj ● Svamitva scheme was launched on a pilot-basis for 6 states- Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Karnataka. ● Objective: to provide help in mapping rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods. ● The aim of the scheme is to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India to create accurate land records for rural planning. ● Drone surveying technology will be used for the demarcation of rural abadi areas. ● People will be awarded property cards under SVAMITVA scheme. These cards will help the beneficiaries in buying and selling the properties without any dispute for the villagers.

SpaceX-NASA’s upcoming Crew-1 mission ● NASA has certified SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket, making it the first spacecraft certification provided by the space agency. ● This means SpaceX can now operate regular flights to the space station. ● The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, whose objective is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research.

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● Significantly, Crew-1 will be the first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS and is the first of the three scheduled flights scheduled over the course of 2020-2021. ● SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule: It will carry up to four astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a space station crew of seven to maximize time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory.

Mega Scope ● MegaScope has been launched to include testing, data analysis and genomics to precisely diagnose infections and to prescribe personalised medicines. ● MegaScope will add host genome data mapping along with Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and data backbone to the MegaLab initiative. ● The main aim of MegaScope is to improve accuracy of testing, prediction of likely disease severity and progression, enhance efficiency of treatment and avoid casualties.

Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report ● Released annually by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC). ● About the report: It evaluates the progress across 10 high-impact indicators outlined in the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) in the 15 countries with the greatest burden of under-five pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths and how they are delivering key interventions to prevent these.

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About Pneumonia: ● The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children worldwide. ● Agent ○ Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children, ○ Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is the second most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. ○ Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common viral cause of pneumonia. ● Symptoms include high fever and chills, cough with phlegm, physical weakness and a feeling of being unwell, shortness of breath and rapid breathing, and a racing pulse.

Rotavirus: ● It is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants and children throughout the world. ● It is transmitted by the faecal-oral route via contact with contaminated hands, surfaces and objects and possibly by the respiratory route.

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Step Taken by India ● The government aims to achieve a target of reducing pneumonia deaths among children to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025. ● In 2014, India launched the Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD) to undertake collaborative efforts towards prevention of diarrhoea and pneumonia-related under-five deaths. ● Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was launched by the government in 1985 and prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases including pneumonia and diarrhoea. ● Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) Campaign to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually. ● In 2019, the government of India launched a rotavirus vaccine drive across all states and Union Territories, which was an unprecedented national scale-up of the rotavirus vaccine.

SpaceX-NASA’s CREW-1 mission ● Crew-1 mission is a part of the Commercial Crew Program of NASA. ● The aim: of the mission is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew are easily transported to and from the ISS and enable greater scientific research. ● Crew-1 mission will launch the NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Soichi Noguchi from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. ● Crew-1 will be SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft’s first operational flight on a Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS. It is the first of the 3 scheduled flights scheduled in 2020-2021.

Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air-Missiles ( QRSAM ) ● QRSAM consists of an Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar, a launcher and an active array battery multifunction radar. Features: ● The radars have 360-degree coverage with ‘track on move’ and ‘search on move’ capabilities. ● Range: The missile is capable of striking aerial target at a height of 15 km. ● Two mobile vehicle: It is launched from mobile two vehicle system. One of the vehicles in the system carries the missile and the second carries the radar. ● The radar can track 100 targets simultaneously. Also, it is capable of engaging six targets simultaneously. ● Canister Based: The QRSAM, like many modern missiles, is a canister-based system, which means that it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.

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○ In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus along with making its transport and storage easier, the shelf life of weapons also improves significantly.

Ariel Space Mission ● European Space Agency (ESA) has formally adopted Ariel, the explorer that will study the nature, formation and evolution of exoplanets. ● ARIEL : Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey ● What is it?: It is a space telescope planned for launch in 2029 by the European Space Agency. ● Objective: To observe at least 1,000 known exoplanets using the transit method, studying and characterising the planets’ chemical composition and thermal structures. ● Exoplanets: Planets that lie outside of the Solar System and orbit around stars other than the Sun are called exoplanets or extrasolar planets. ● Why do scientists study exoplanets?: The search for exoplanets is driven by the possibility that life may exist beyond Earth and even if there is no evidence for this, scientists believe that their hunt for an answer wil reveal details about where humans came from and where we’re headed.

Kerala Fibre Optic Network Project

● Kerala aims to provide free Internet for poor families, public offices by December. ● About the Project: The project seeks to fulfil the government’s aim of making internet access a ‘citizen’s right’. ● Aims to provide free high-speed internet to over 20 lakh below poverty line (BPL) households. ● It is a collaborative initiative of the state’s power utility Kerala State Electricity Board and Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd. Internet service providers and cable television operators can also join the optic-fibre network project to provide their services. ● As many as 30,000 government offices and schools would be linked through the high- speed network, said the state government

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Optical Fibre Or Fibre Optics ● Refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber. ● Fiber optics is used long-distance and high-performance data networking. ● Uses the application of total internal reflection of light. ● The glass fiber core and the cladding each have a different refractive index that bends incoming light at a certain angle. When light signals are sent through the fiber optic cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in a series of zig-zag bounces, adhering to a process called total internal reflection. Types of Optical Fibers

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● The types of optical fibers depend on the refractive index, materials used, and mode of propagation of light. The classification based on the refractive index is as follows: ● Step Index Fibers: It consists of a core surrounded by the cladding, which has a single uniform index of refraction. ● Graded Index Fibers: The refractive index of the optical fiber decreases as the radial distance from the fiber axis increases. The classification based on the materials used is as follows: ● Plastic Optical Fibers: The polymethylmethacrylate is used as a core material for the transmission of the light. ● Glass Fibers: It consists of extremely fine glass fibers. The classification based on the mode of propagation of light is as follows: ● Single-Mode Fibers: These fibers are used for long-distance transmission of signals. ● Multimode Fibers: These fibers are used for short-distance transmission of signals. Leonid Showers ● The Leonids emerge from the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The comet takes 33 years to complete one revolution around the sun. ● The Leonid meteor showers are bright and are travelling at the speed of 71 km per second ● The Leonid showers include large meteors than the average meteors. ● The meteor showers are usually named after the constellation they come from. Leonids originate from the constellation Leo.

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What is a meteor shower? ● As the Earth revolves around the sun, it passes through large cosmic debris. ● These debris are remnants of comets. Comets are frigid chunks of matter. It leaves dirty trails of ice and rock that linger after the comets have passed. ● When the earth passes through these remnants, they are acted upon earth’s gravity and some begin to fall down towards the earth’s surface. ● While falling down, they catch fire due to the friction of the earth’s atmosphere. This fireball of the remnants are meteor showers.

Meteor Storm Vs Meteor Shower ● When the number of meteors spotted are 1000 per hour, it is said to be meteor storm. ● When the number of meteors spotted is less than 1000 per hour, it is said to be meteor shower. The last Leonid Meteor storm took place in 2002.

WHO Emergency Use Listing ● The new Emergency Use Listing mechanism was developed by the World Health Organisation in response to the Ebola virus outbreak that occurred between 2014 and 2016.

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● The emergency use listing procedure is a risk based procedure to assess and list unlicensed vaccines. ● 1st vaccine added in Emergency use listing is the nCOP2 developed by Bio Farma of Indonesia.

What are vaccine derived Polio Virus? ● The vaccine derived polio viruses (VDPV) are the rare strains of poliovirus. They have genetically mutated from the original strain of oral polio vaccine. The different types of VDPVs are ○ Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus ○ Immuno Deficiency related Vaccine derived polio virus ○ Ambiguous vaccine derived polio virus.

Report on efficacy and accessibility of e-learning

● Study was conducted by the Azim Premji University ● The study, titled “Myths of Online Education”, was undertaken in five States across 26 districts and covered 1,522 schools. Key findings: ● More than 60% of the respondents who are enrolled in government schools could not access online education. ● Non-availability or inadequate number of smartphones for dedicated use or sharing, as well as difficulty in using apps for online learning, was the most important reasons why students were not able to access classes. Concerns Express: ● Children with disabilities found it more difficult to participate in online sessions. ● 90% of the teachers who work with children with disabilities found their students unable to participate online. ● Almost 70% of the parents surveyed were of the opinion that online classes were not effective and did not help in their child’s learnings. ● More than 80% surveyed said they were unable to maintain emotional connect with students during online classes, while 90% of teachers felt that no meaningful assessment of children’s learning was possible.

DISCOVERY OF PULSARS ● Pulsars belong to a family of objects called neutron stars that form when a star more massive than the sun runs out of fuel in its core and collapses in on itself. ● The pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit radio-frequency pulses. ● Pulsars spin because the stars from which they formed also rotate, and the collapse of the stellar material will naturally increase the pulsar's rotation speed. ● Pulsars are highly magnetic. ● Pulsars can radiate light in multiple wavelengths, from radio waves all the way up to gamma-rays, the most energetic form of light in the universe. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 151

“Team Halo” ● United Nations along with “the Vaccine Confidence Project” of University of London launched “Team Halo”. ● More than 100 scientists from different parts of the world have come together under the project. ● Aims: to tackle misinformation on safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. ● Role: ○ Under the initiative, the scientists will create social-media friendly videos on COVID-19 vaccine science based on their personal experiences. ○ Also, Team Halo will act as a communication platform for the scientists working on COVID-19 vaccines

Education Minister inaugurated Lilavati Awards, 2020 ● The award is an initiative of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). ● Aim: The Lilavati Award aims to recognise the efforts of AICTE affiliated institutions in treating women. ● Theme: women empowerment. ● Seven categories : literacy, self-defence, women entrepreneurship, legal awareness, women health and sanitation and hygiene. ● The main objective: of the awards is to create awareness in the issues such as sanitation, hygiene, health and nutrition using traditional Indian values.

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Bhaskara II ● Bhaskara II lived during 12th century. ● He was the leader is a cosmic observatory at Ujjain. ● His major works are Siddhantha-Siromani, meaning Crown of Treaties. ● This main work of the legend has been divided into four parts namely Lilavati, Grahaganita, Bijaganita and Goladhyaya. ● He is known for his discovery of principles of differential calculus. ● Lilavati was the daughter of Indian Mathematician Bhaskara II.

Bhaskara I ● Bhaskara I was the seventh century Indian mathematician and astronomer. ● Bhaskara I was the first person to write numbers in Hindu Decimal System. ● He also gave a unique rational approximation of the sine function. ● In 1979, Indian Space Research Organization launched two satellites honouring the mathematician. In order to avoid confusion, the mathematicians are being called Bhaskara I and Bhaskara II.

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Gaganyaan Mission ● Why in news ?: Larsen and Toubro delivered a Booster Segment, the first hardware for the Gaganyaan Mission to ISRO

Gaganyaan Mission ● What is it?: Gaganyaan is an Indian Human Spaceflight Programme that is to carry three astronauts to space. ● It is the first crewed mission of India. ● Features: ○ ISRO’s GSLV Mk III launch vehicle is to be used. ○ It is a three stage heavy lift Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. ○ GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4 tonnes of satellites into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit or 10 tonnes of satellite to the Low Earth Orbit. ○ The mission will launch a capsule that will orbit the earth at 400 km altitude up to seven days. ○ Low Earth Orbit: Orbit is at a height of less than 1000 km

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What is Booster segment in a rocket? ➢ It is an engine or can also be a booster rocket. ➢ It is either the first stage of a multi stage rocket or a shorter burning rocket used to augment the take off thrust of the space vehicle. ➢ In simple words, the booster segments solve two purposes ➢ In Low Earth Orbit rockets, booster segments are used to launch a space craft ➢ Booster Segments act as thrust providers when the mission is beyond low earth orbit.

Microwave weapons: ● “Microwave weapons” are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons, ● Which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target. ● Microwave Weapons use beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort. ● Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term. Which countries have these “microwave weapons”? ● A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems. ● China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014. ● The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”.

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● The US apparently deployed such a weapon in Afghanistan, but withdrew it without ever using it against human targets.

About Microwave ● Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic radiation, as are radio waves, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma-rays. ● Microwaves have a range of applications, including communications, radar and, perhaps best known by most people, cooking.

Guillain Barre Syndrome ● It is a very rare autoimmune disorder. ● The immune system, in an attempt to kill the coronavirus, accidentally starts attacking the peripheral nervous system. ● The peripheral nervous system is a network of nerves that lead from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body. Attacking them can affect limb functions. ● GBS is caused by bacteria or viral infection. ● The syndrome’s first symptoms are a tingling or itching sensation in the skin, followed by muscle weakness, pain and numbness. Chapare Virus ● Chapare Virus belongs to the same Arenavirus family that is responsible for illnesses such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD). It causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF). ● Vector: ○ Chapare virus are generally carried by rats and can be transmitted through direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or through contact with an infected person. ○ A disease vector is any agent which carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism. ● Symptoms: ○ Some symptoms of Chapare are fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin rash and pain. ● Transmission: Virus can spread from person to person. Chapare spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids, Sexually transmission ● Why iin news?: The recent biggest outbreak of the ‘Chapare virus’ was reported in 2019, when three healthcare workers contracted the illness from two patients in the Bolivian capital of La Paz. Param Siddhi and Mihir ● Why in news?: Two supercomputers from India — PARAM Siddhi-AI and Mihir have made it to the TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers as they have been ranked 63rd and 146th respectively. ● Japanese supercomputer Fugaku (415.53 petaflops) and IBM’s Summit (148.8 petaflops) are the two most powerful supercomputers in the world, according to the list. ● Chinese Sunway TaihuLight is number four on the list (93 petaflops).

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● Distributed computing System: is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system is a system whose components are located on different networked computers, which communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages to one another. The components interact with one another in order to achieve a common goal. ● Non-distributed (or co-located) system: all the parts of the system are in the same physical location. In a distributed system, parts of the system exist in separate locations.

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About Param Siddhi ● What is it?: It is a 5.267 Petaflops high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer. ● Built by : It is jointly built by the Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Electronics and IT under the National Supercomputing Mission and was conceptualised by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). ● Applications: ○ It will help deep learning, visual computing, virtual reality, accelerated computing, as well as graphics virtualization. ○ The computer is expected to be used as a platform for academia,scientific research, startups and more.

Mihir: ● What is it?: It is a 2.8 Petaflop supercomputer which has been operational at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF), Noida. ● Functions: It is one of the powerful systems owned by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and has helped improve India’s forecasting skills. Cord blood banking ● What is it?: Community Cord Blood Banking, a stem cell banking initiative introduced by LifeCell in 2017, has helped save the life of a seven-year-old girl from Nashik in Maharashtra who was suffering from aplastic anaemia. ● What is Cord Blood? ○ Cord blood (short for umbilical cord blood) is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta post-delivery. ○ It contains special cells called hematopoietic stem cells that can be used to treat some types of diseases. ● What is Cord blood banking? ○ Cord blood banking is the process of collecting the cord blood and extracting and cryogenically freezing its stem cells and other cells of the immune system for potential future medical use. ● Globally, cord blood banking is recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for haematological cancers and disorders where its use is recommended.

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● For all other conditions, the use of cord blood as a source of stem cells is not yet established. ● Uses: Umbilical cord fluid is loaded with stem cells. ○ They can treat cancer, blood diseases like anemia, and some immune system disorders, which disrupt your body’s ability to defend itself. ○ The fluid is easy to collect and has 10 times more stem cells than those collected from bone marrow. ○ Stem cells from cord blood rarely carry any infectious diseases and are half as likely to be rejected as adult stem cells.

Australia to temporarily host ISRO satellite tracking facilities: ● The space agencies of India and Australia are working together to position temporarily Indian tracking facilities in Australia. ● These include earth observation and data analytics, robotics, and space life sciences. ● This would support India’s planned human space flight programme. ● India, Australia space cooperation is underpinned by a formal Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 2012.

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS) ● The IRNSS has been accepted as a component of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). ● How will it help India?: This will enable merchant vessels to use IRNSS for obtaining position information similar to GPS and GLONASS to assist in the navigation of ships in ocean waters within the area covered by 50°N latitude,55°E longitude, 5°S latitude and 110°E longitude (approximately up to 1500 km from Indian boundary). About IRNSS(NavIC): ● The IRNSS, with an operational name of NavIC (acronym for Navigation with Indian Constellation) is an Indian regional satellite navigation system that provides accurate real-time positioning and timing services. ● Coverage & Accuracy: NavIC has 8 satellites. It covers India and a region extending 1,500 km around it, with plans for further extension.NavIC is able to pinpoint location to an estimated accuracy of under 20 metres. ● The system currently consists of a constellation of seven satellites, with two additional satellites on ground as stand-by. Three of these will be geostationary over the Indian Ocean and four will be geosynchronous. ● Types of Service: IRNSS will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) which is provided to all the users and Restricted Service(RS) which is an encrypted service provided only to the authorised users. ● Applications of IRNSS : Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine Navigation, Disaster Management, Vehicle tracking and fleet management,Integration with mobile phones, Mapping. Terrestrial navigation among others. #Target_shots Addition

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Other countries Navigation Systems: ● USA navigation system: The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that consists of 24 orbiting satellites. ● Glonass is Russian Satellite Navigation System considered as a counterpart to GPS of the USA. ● BeiDou Navigation Satellite System of China: A hybrid constellation consisting of around 30 satellites in three kinds of orbits. ● Galileo is Europe's Global Navigation Satellite System.

Sentinel satellite ● NASA launched the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite to monitor oceans. ● The mission was launched to measure the height of the ocean. ● Measuring the height of the ocean is one of the key components in understanding the climate change. ● Jointly developed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, European Space Agency and European Organization for the Exploration of Meteorological satellite and French National Centre for Space Studies. ● Main objectives: to make sea level observations and will provide measurements on global sea level rise. ○ To measure the sea surface height, the satellite will send pulses to the Earth’s surface and will measure the returning signals. ○ The satellite will also measure water vapour in the earth’s atmosphere. It will also collect data supporting oceanography.

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GRACE Satellites ● The Grace satellites found that the ice sheets contributed 1.2 millimetres per year sea level rise between 2002 and 2017. ● The GRACE satellite was launched in 2018. ● It was a joint mission of NASA and German Aerospace Centre. ● GRACE mission measured gravity anomalies and how mass is distributed around the planer. ● It mainly measured distribution of water across the planet.

Other satellites launched to measure Ocean 1. The Aquarius was launched in 2011 by NASA 2. Jason-1 was launched in 2001, Jason-2 in 2008 and Jason-3 in 2016 by NASA. All the three studied about Ocean. 3. Oceansat, Cartosat were launched by ISRO to study oceans.

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Desalination plants ● A desalination plant turns salt water into water that is fit to drink. ● Desalination is the process of removing salts from water to produce water that meets the quality (salinity) requirements of different human uses. ● The most commonly used technology used for the process is reverse osmosis ● Reverse Osmosis: ○ Where an external pressure is applied to push solvents from an area of high- solute concentration to an area of low-solute concentration through a membrane. ○ The microscopic pores in the membranes allow water molecules through but leave salt and most other impurities behind, releasing clean water from the other side. ○ These plants are mostly set up in areas that have access to sea water. Advantages : ● Providing an “unlimited”, climate-independent and steady supply of high-quality water. ● It can provide drinking water in areas where no natural supply of potable water exists. ● Reduce pressure on freshwater supplies that come from areas (over exploited water resources) that need protecting.

Swiss Challenge method ● The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to take the ‘Swiss Challenge Method’ for the desalination project. ● Under this, a project can be awarded to a private player on an unsolicited proposal. ● The private firm which has first submitted a proposal can be approached directly for negotiations and if they do not agree, then other bidders are called.

ISRO’s Shukrayaan ● It is a mission to study Venus for more than four years. ● Objectives: Investigation of the surface processes and shallow subsurface stratigraphy; and solar wind interaction with Venusian Ionosphere, and studying the structure, composition and dynamics of the atmosphere. ● The proposed orbit is expected to be around 500 x 60,000 km around Venus. This orbit is likely to be reduced gradually, over several months to a lower apoapsis (farthest point)

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About Venus: ● Venus is often described as the “twin sister” of the Earth because of the similarities in size, mass, density, bulk composition and gravity. ● Slightly smaller than Earth, it is the second planet from the sun. Earth is the third. ● Hottest planet of the solar system. ● Venus is around 30 per cent closer to the Sun as compared to Earth resulting in much higher solar flux.

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Important missions planned by ISRO

Gaganyaan: ● It is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft mission (jointly made by ISRO and HAL) that is expected to carry three people seven days into space and intended to be the basis of the Indian Human Space ight Programme. ● This will be the rst indigenous human mission developed by ISRO. ● It is planned to be launched on ISRO's GSLV Mk III in December 2021. ● Prior to sending humans, there will be two unmanned Gaganyaan missions to be undertaken. This will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400km. ● ISRO Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) at Bengaluru will be responsible for implementing it. ● I.S.R.O. has entered into a pact with Russian company Glavkosmos to pick and train astronauts for the Gaganyaan project in the region. ● In terms of experience, I.S.R.O. will obtain assistance from the French space agency C.N.E.S. ● India could become 4th country after USSR , US & China ● Vyommitra ○ I.S.R.O. will send Vyommitra in the unmanned Gaganyaan Spacecraft. ○ Vyomamitra is an arti cial intelligence-based robotic system to mimic crew activity inside the crew module of Gaganyaan. ○ Scientists at IISc in collaboration with I.S.R.O. has been developing this.

Aditya-L1 Mission ● Aditya-L1 is a first Indian based project to research the solar Corona, which is scheduled for 2021. ● Objectives are: ○ To study solar Corona in near IR and visible bands. ○ To study the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) ○ To analyse the important physical parameters for space weather like coronal magnetic eld structures, the evolution of the coronal magnetic eld, etc. ● It will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian Sun-Earth point (L1), about 1,5 million km from the Earth. ● It will be launched using P.S.L.V.

XPoSat ● X-ray polarimeter satellite is a dedicated polarization study mission planned. ● The spacecraft will carry the Polarimeter Instrument in X-ray (P.O.L.I.X.) payload, which will study the degree and angle of polarization of the 5-30 keV energy range of bright X- ray sources.

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● The satellite has a ve-year mission life and will be placed in a 500-700 km circular orbit. ● It will study black holes around neutron stars, supernova remnants, pulsars, and regions.

UMANG International ● To mark the occasion of 3 years of UMANG an online conference was organized under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Communications and Law & Justice. ● Coverage: The international version is for select countries that include USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. ● Benefits: It will help Indian international students, NRIs and Indian tourists abroad, to avail Government of India services, anytime. ● It will also help in taking India to the world through ‘Indian Culture’services available on UMANG and create interest amongst foreign tourists to visit India.

UMANG App ● What is it?: The UMANG mobile app (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is a Government of India all-in-one single, unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app. ● Developed by: the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT. ● Purpose: It provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services. ● Key Partners: The key partners of UMANG are Employee Provident Fund Organization, Direct Benefit Transfer scheme departments, Employee State Insurance Corporation, Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Staff Selection Commission (SSC). ● UMANG attained ‘Best m-Government service’ award at the 6th World Government Summit held at Dubai, UAE in February 2018.

Starlinks ● Starlink is a SpaceX project to build a broadband network with a cluster of orbiting spacecraft that could eventually number thousands. ● The Starlink satellites carry Hall thrusters, which use electricity and krypton gas to generate an impulse, to manoeuvre in orbit, maintain altitude and guide the spacecraft back into the atmosphere at the end of their mission. ● The Starlink network is one of several ongoing efforts to start beaming data signals from space.

Kala-azar ● What is it?: It is a chronic and potentially fatal parasitic disease of the internal organs, particularly the liver, bone marrow and lymph nodes (network of organ-filters for harmful substances).

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● Caused by: It is caused by a protozoan Leishmania parasite and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female sandflies. ● Signs and symptoms: fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, and substantial swelling of the liver. ● It is also known as Indian leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis, leishmania infection, dumdum fever, black sickness, and black fever. ● It spreads due to infection by the parasite called Leishmania donovani. ● The first oral drug found to be effective for treating kala-azar is miltefosine. ● Cases in India: India accounts for about two-thirds of the total global cases and the disease is endemic to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones ● The Indian Navy has inducted two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones procured from the U.S. on lease. ● Features: ○ Maximum endurance of 40 hours and ○ Maximum flying altitude of 40,000 feet. ○ 3600 maritime surveillance radar and an optional multimode maritime surface search radar. ○ Used in operations such as Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement (Drug Trafficking, Illegal Immigration and Piracy), etc.

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UAV of India ● Nishant ○ Nishant is a multi mission Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Day/Night capability used for battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance, target tracking & localization, and artillery fire correction. ● Rustom ○ Rustom (Warrior) is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation. ● UAV Panchi ○ It is the wheeled version of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Nishant, capable of taking-off and landing by using small airstrips. Panchi UAV has autonomous flight capabilities and is controlled from a user friendly Ground Control Station (GCS). ● AURA ○ AURA is stealth UCAV, capable of releasing missiles, bombs and precision- guided munitions.

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M Dwarf Stars ● M dwarfs, also known as Red Dwarfs, are the tiniest of the stars that have masses ranging from about 8 percent to about 50 percent of the Sun’s mass. ● The planets circling an M dwarf must be in a close orbit to the star to be warm enough for life. ● The term "red dwarf" does not refer to a single kind of star. ● It is also frequently applied and brown dwarfs, often referred to as "failed stars" because they do not sustain hydrogen fusion in their cores. ● Features of M Dwarf Stars: ○ The red dwarf stars have relatively low pressures, a low fusion rate, and a low temperature. ○ The low temperature of red dwarfs implies that they are far dimmer than stars like the sun. ○ The low temperature also means that they burn through their supply of hydrogen less rapidly.

Nitrous oxide ● Nitrous oxide is a dangerous gas for the sustainable existence of humans on Earth. ● It has the third-highest concentration — after CO2 and methane — in our atmosphere among greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. ● N2O can live in the atmosphere for up to 125 years. ● Most N2O emissions have come from emerging countries like India, China and Brazil. ● In 2015, MoEF&CC introduced limits of 300 mg/Nm3 ● Recently (MoEF&CC) has relaxed NOx emission norms to 450 mg/Nm3, for power stations commissioned between 2003 and 2015 Sources ● Agricultural soils ● wastewater (12%), and residential and commercial activities (6%) ● N2O has replaced methane as the second-largest greenhouse gas from Indian agriculture. ● Chemical fertilizers (over 82% of it is urea) account for over 77% of all agricultural N2O emissions in India, ● While manure, compos ● Gasoline and diesel engines emit are oxides of nitrogen—NO and NO2

Brain Fingerprinting ● Brain fingerprinting is also known as Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling (BEOSP). ● It is a neuro psychological method of interrogation in which the accused’s participation in a crime is investigated by studying their brain’s response. ● The test does not involve a question answer session with the accused. ● The test is carried out via a process known as electroencephalogram, conducted to study the electrical behaviour of the human brain. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 162

● Under this test, the consent of the accused is first taken and they are then made to wear caps with dozens of electrodes attached to them. ● The accused are then shown visuals or played audio clips related to the crime to check if there is any triggering of neurons in their brains which then generate brainwaves. ● The test results are then studied to determine the participation of the accused in a crime. ● In Selvi vs State of Karnataka case (2010), the Supreme Court observed that brain mapping test results cannot be admitted solely as evidence. ● However any information or material discovered during the tests can be made part of the evidence.

Hydrogen fuel ● Hydrogen is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Since the weight of hydrogen is less than air, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, H2. ● At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a nontoxic, nonmetallic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, and highly combustible diatomic gas. ● Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel burned with oxygen. It can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. It is also used as a fuel for spacecraft propulsion. ● Water is the most abundant compound of hydrogen found on earth. ○ Molecular hydrogen is not available on Earth in convenient natural reservoirs. Most hydrogen on Earth is bonded to oxygen in water and to carbon in live or dead and/or fossilized biomass. ○ It can be created by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. ● Types of hydrogen depending upon process of extraction: ○ Green hydrogen: It is derived by electrolysis of water ○ Grey hydrogen: Hydrogen derived using fossil fuels ○ Blue hydrogen: derived from natural gas thru process of steam methane reforming (SMR)

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Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle ● Mechanism: The FCEV combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate an electric current. ○ Hydrogen + Oxygen = Electricity + Water Vapour ○ 2H2 (g) + O2 (g) → 2 H2O (l) ● FCEV engines are similar to the conventional internal combustion engines because they also rely on a constant supply of fuel (hydrogen) and oxygen. ● However, there are no moving parts in the fuel cell, so they are more efficient and reliable. Advantages: ● FCEVs produce much smaller quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and none of the air pollutants that cause health problems.

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● Fuel cells emit only heat and water as a byproduct and are far more energy-efficient than traditional combustion technologies. ● FCEVs do not need to be plugged in for charging, like battery-powered EVs. ● There is a wide availability of resources for producing hydrogen.

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft ● What is it ?: It is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA. ● launched on 3 December 2014 ● It carried multiple science payloads for remote sensing, sampling, and four small rovers that will investigate the asteroid surface to inform the environmental and geological context of the samples collected. ● The mission will shed light on the origins of the solar system. ● scientific objectives ○ To characterize the asteroid from remote sensing observations (with multispectral cameras, near-infrared spectrometer, thermal infrared imager, laser altimeter) on a macroscopic scale ○ To analyse the samples returned from the asteroid on a microscopic scale.

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About Ryugu: ● Ryugu is a C-type asteroid – a relic from the early days of the Solar System. ● Scientists think that C-type asteroids contain both organic matter, and trapped water, and might have been responsible for bringing both to Earth, thereby providing the planet with the materials necessary for life to originate. Mission COVID Suraksha ● What is it ?: Mission COVID Suraksha is India’s targeted effort to enable the development of indigenous, affordable and accessible vaccines for the country and will complement the ongoing mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat. ● The Centre had announced this package during the third economic stimulus. ● The Mission with its end-to-end focus from preclinical development through clinical development and manufacturing and regulatory facilitation for deployment, would consolidate all available and funded resources towards accelerated product development. ● Objectives: ○ Accelerating pre-clinical and clinical development. ○ Licensure of Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are currently in clinical stages or ready to enter the clinical stage of development. ○ Establishing clinical trial sites. ○ Strengthening the existing central laboratories and suitable facilities for animal studies, production facilities and other testing facilities to support the vaccine development.

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● Grant: ○ Phase-I of the Mission has been allotted Rs. 900 Crore for a period of 12 months. ○ The grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for Research and Development (R&D) of Indian Covid-19 vaccines. ● It will be led by DBT and implemented by a dedicated Mission Implementation Unit at the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). ● The existing activities under National Bio Pharma Mission (NBM) and Ind-CEPI Mission will provide complementary strengths to this Mission.

Different Vaccine: ● Covishield: The Serum Institute of India (SII) is conducting the phase-3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine. ● Covaxin: The indigenously developed Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) vaccine has already started the phase III clinical trial. ● ZyCoV-D: Indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed the phase-2 clinical trial in the country. ● Sputnik V: The combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India are about to get started. ● BNT162b2: India is focusing on training for conducting phase II and III human clinical trials of the Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine candidate along lines of India’s regulatory mechanism.

Clinical Trials ● It is a systematic study to generate data for discovering or verifying the clinical and pharmacological profile (including pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) or adverse effects of a new drug on humans. ● It is the only way of establishing the safety and efficacy of any drug before its introduction in the market for human use and is preceded by animal trials where the efficacy and side effects are observed in animals and an estimated drug dose is established. ● Clinical trials of drugs developed in India have to undergo all four phases of trials in India. ○ Phase I or clinical pharmacology trials or “first in man” study. ○ Phase II or exploratory trials. ○ Phase III or confirmatory trials. ○ Phase IV trials or post-marketing phase.

National Bio Pharma Mission ● Implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). It is implemented through industry-academia collaboration. ● The mission accelerates biopharmaceutical development in the country. ● The mission was launched in 2017 at a cost of 1500 crore rupees. ● 50% of the mission is funded by World bank.

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● What is I3 programme under the mission? ● The Innovate in India, I3 programme was launched under the mission. It enables an ecosystem to promote indigenous manufacturing in bio Pharma sector.

What are the four verticals under the mission? ● The four verticals under the mission are development of product leads for vaccine, upgradation of shared infrastructure facilities, development of human capital and developing technology transfer.

What is I3 programme under the mission? ● The Innovate in India, I3 programme was launched under the mission. It enables an ecosystem to promote indigenous manufacturing in bio Pharma sector.

Diabetes ● Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. ● Types: ○ Type I diabetes: It is also known as juvenile diabetes (as it mostly affects children of age 14-16 years), this type occurs when the body fails to produce sufficient insulin. People with type I diabetes are insulin-dependent, which means they must take artificial insulin daily to stay alive. ○ Gestational diabetes: This type occurs in women during pregnancy when the body sometimes becomes less sensitive to insulin. Gestational diabetes does not occur in all women and usually resolves after giving birth. ● Diabetes affects the five major organs namely, Kidney, Heart, Blood vessels, Nervous System, and Eyes (retina). ● Factors responsible for the increase in diabetes are an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, etc.

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International Relation, Organisation & Reports

World Cities Day ● The United Nations General Assembly has designated the 31st of October as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. ● The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in addressing challenges of urbanization. ● 2020 Theme is "Valuing Our Communities and Cities". Urban October ● It was launched by UN-Habitat in 2014 to emphasize the world’s urban challenges and engage the international community towards the New Urban Agenda. Sustainable Development Goal 11 ● It formulates the ambition to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable – underlying the relevance of UN-Habitat’s mission.

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The United Nations Habitat Program (UN-Habitat) 1978 ● What is it ?: United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. ● HQ: Nairobi , Kenya ● Established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976. ● Vision to provide well-governed, well-planned and efficient cities and other human settlements. These settlements would have adequate housing and infrastructure along with enough basic necessities like water, sanitation and electricity. ● UN-Habitat Publications/Reports ○ The State of the World’s Cities ○ The Global Report on Human Settlements ○ New Urban Agenda ○ Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Local Bodies – The Future We Want ● India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly.

Gulf Cooperation Council ● Established by an agreement concluded in 1981 ● Among Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE ● View of their special relations, geographic proximity, similar political systems based on Islamic beliefs, joint destiny and common objectives.

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● Structure of the GCC: consists of the Supreme Council (the highest authority), the Ministerial Council and the Secretariat General. The Secretariat is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ● It is a political, economic, social, and regional organisation according to its charter.

International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) ● It is an intergovernmental organization established in 1923 with the aim to ● facilitate worldwide police cooperation and crime control in around 194 ● countries. ● Headquarters: Lyon, France ● INTERPOL has created two secure and flexible services to facilitate cybercrime-related communication among police and other stakeholders. ● Cybercrime Knowledge Exchange workspace: It is open to law enforcement, governments, international organizations and cybersecurity industry experts to exchange non-police operational information on cybercrime.

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Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ● What is it ?: It is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. ● Headquartered in Vienna, Austria. ● Members: here are 14 member countries in OPEC. They are Iraq, Iran, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ecuador, Angola and Venezuela. ● Ecuador suspended its membership in 1992. It re-joined in 2007 and again withdrew its membership in 2020. In 2018, Qatar left OPEC ● OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization. ● Objective: is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.

What is the Opec+? ● Opec+ refers to the alliance of crude producers, who have been undertaking corrections in supply in the oil markets since 2017. ● OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan. ● The Opec and non-Opec producers first formed the alliance at a historic meeting in Algiers in 2016. ● The aim was to undertake production restrictions to help resuscitate a flailing market.

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Persian Gulf Region ● Major producers of crude oil and natural gas ● 8 Members: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman ● All are members of UN. ● Out of persian gulf countries, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Saudi Arabia are members of OPEC.

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Asian premium? ● Asian Premium is the extra charge being collected by OPEC countries from Asian countries when selling oil. ● The premium is determined in large part by the official selling prices (OSPs) set by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait, which supply about 15 percent of the world’s crude among them. ● They set differential prices against benchmarks on a monthly basis, adjusting them to account for regional variation

India-UAE ● Two countries signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Agreement in January 2017 and the Joint Task Force is an integral component of it. ● UAE Plus is a special and dedicated desk constituted under Invest India with Arabic speaking officials to help facilitate investments. ● The Fast Track Mechanism aims to resolve any challenges experienced by UAE investors in India ● India has signed CSPs with the UK, Indonesia, Vietnam, UAE and Australia

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Pandemic ● According to the WHO, a pandemic is declared when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations. Epidemic ● An epidemic is a large outbreak, one that spreads among a population or region. It is less severe than pandemic due to a limited area of spread

Nordic Baltic Eight ● The Nordic Baltic Eight includes Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Iceland, Norway, Lithuania and Sweden. ● Lithuania has high expertise in LASER technology. The LASER related products have become the most important part of Lithuania’s trade with India.

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Nordic Region ● The countries such as Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland are the Nordic countries ● The first India-Nordic Summit was held in 2018. ● The summit focused on security, climate change and economic growth.

Nordic Council ● It was established in 1952. ● The headquarters of the council is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. ● It provides a link between governments, parliaments of Nordic states. ● The members of Nordic council are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Finland joined in 1955

Baltic Sea ● An arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, the Baltic Sea is enclosed by Sweden and Denmark to the west, Finland to the northeast, the Baltic countries to the southeast, and the North European Plain to the southwest. ● The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish inland seas by area ●

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Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) ● Indian Prime Minister, at the Hamburg G20 meet in 2017, proposed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). ● Launched by Modi in September 2019 at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York, US. ● A platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. ● CDRI act as a convening body that will pool best practices and resources from around the world for reshaping core infrastructure sectors factors in natural catastrophes.

Track 1.5 Dialogue ● Track 1.5 to denote a situation in which official and non-official actors work together to resolve conflicts. ● Its a type of Diplomacy ● Why in news?: The third round of India-Canada Track 1.5 Dialogue will take place on a virtual platform.

Track 1 Diplomacy: ● Official discussions typically involving high-level political and military leaders and focusing on cease-fires, peace talks, and treaties and other agreements. ● Heads of states meet, have hi-tea, discuss issues and release joint statements etc Track 2 Diplomacy: ● Unofficial dialogue and problem-solving activities aimed at building relationships and encouraging new thinking that can inform the official process.

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● Since it is unofficial – you can expect to see influential academic, religious, and NGO leaders and other civil society actors who can interact more freely than high-ranking officials.

Track 3 Diplomacy: ● People-to-people diplomacy undertaken by individuals and private groups. ● It would not be further from truth if we say that the “aam aadmi” of India does not really hate his counterpart at Pakistan. ● Beyond the media and political blur, there are a lot of initiatives which get people closer (do we hear bollywood).

Atal Innovation Mission-Sirius Programme ● Launched for India and Russia school children ● Aims to develop technological solutions for both India and Russia. ● SIRIUS is Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station. It is a series of experiments that investigates flight to the moon ● The innovations developed by the students will be from the field of block chain, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Armenia Azerbaijan Peace Deal ● Russia has brokered a new peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both counties have been in a military conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. ● Nagorno-Karabakh Region:

● ● The region extends across western Asia and Eastern Europe.

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● It has been part of Azerbaijan territory since the Soviet era and is being internationally recognised so but most of the region is controlled by Armenian separatists who have declared it a republic called the “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”.

20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit ● The Meeting was chaired by Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization ● the largest transregional international organization that accounts to 44% of the world population ● that stretches between Pacific Ocean and Baltic sea and also between Arctic Ocean and Indian Ocean. ● formed in the year 2001 and ● Headquartered at Beijing, China. ● Aims to maintain stability, peace and security in the region. India and Pakistan became the members of the organization only in 2017. ● Five founder members namely Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan,Russia, Tajikistan ● New 3 members: Uzbekistan in 2001, India and Pakistan became members in 2017. ● Four observer states - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia. ● It has the capacity to counterbalance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Initiatives by the Government fighting against common water challenges Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ● The huge workforce employed under the MGNREGA has enabled the government to introduce water conservation as a project under the Act. ● The government aims to improve groundwater harvesting, build water conservation and storage mechanisms through MGNREGA.

Jal Kranti Abhiyan ● Under it, the government is making active efforts to revolutionise villages and cities through block-level water conservation schemes. ● For example, the Jal Gram Scheme under the Jal Kranti Abhiyan is aimed at developing two model villages in water-starved areas to lead the other villages towards water conservation and preservation.

National Water Mission ● It was launched with the objective of conservation of water, minimising wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution both across and within states through integrated water resources development and management.

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NITI Aayog's Composite Water Management Index ● With the objective of achieving effective utilization of water, NITI Aayog has developed the Composite Water Management Index.

Jal Shakti Ministry and Jal Jeevan Mission ● The efforts like the formation of Jal Shakti Ministry (to tackle water issues holistically) and the goal to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024, under the Jal Jeevan mission, are steps in the right direction.

Atal Bhujal Yojana ● It is a central sector scheme worth Rs.6,000 crore for sustainable management of groundwater with community participation. ● It envisages people's participation through the formation of ‘Water User Associations’, water budgeting, preparation and implementation of Gram-panchayat-wise water security plans, etc.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan ● Launched in July 2019 as a campaign for water conservation and water security in the country. ● It is a time-bound, mission-mode campaign. ● it covered 256 water stressed districts across the country. ● The campaign will run through citizen participation. ● It is also a mass movement to bring all the stakeholders under one ambit of water conservation drive. ● It is a collaborative effort of various Ministries of the Government of India and State Governments, being coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. ● Work to be done under this initiative: ○ Rejuvenation of the traditional water bodies. ○ Desilting of ponds and lakes. ○ Encroachments removal in the water bodies. ○ Catchment area treatment. ○ Construction and strengthening of inlets/outlets.

India and Maldives ● The four MOUs were signed for cooperation in sports and youth affairs; connectivity project, setting of plant and soil testing labs. ● One of the four MoUs was signed for the grant of $100 million by India for the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). This project will link Maldives capital Male with three islands. The total cost of this GMCP project is $500 million. Rest $400 million for the project will also be provided by India. This agreement was signed with the Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid.

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● The second agreement signed between the two countries is to set up a plant and soil testing laboratory with a grant of 1.71 million Maldivian rufiyaas. ● The third agreement has been signed for the establishment of a drug detox facility with another grant of 7.7 million Maldivian rufiyaas. ● The fourth MOU was signed to increase cooperation in the field of sports and youth affairs between both the countries.

Association of South-East Asian Nations(ASEAN) ● It is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation. ● It was established on 8th August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by th ● e founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. ● Ten Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ● Chairmanship: It rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States. ● ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 2.8 trillion. It is India’s 4th largest trading partner with about USD 86.9 billion in trade. ● The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration, signing six free-trade agreements with other regional economies and helping spearhead negotiations for what could be the world’s largest free trade pact.

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Key Economic Words ● Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the final value of the goods and services produced within the geographic boundaries of a country during a specified period of time, normally a year. ● Expansionary Phase: When the overall output of goods and services typically measured by the GDP increases from one quarter (or month) to another. ● Recessionary Phase: When the overall output of goods and services typically measured by the GDP decreases from one quarter (or month) to another. ● Nowcast in economics means the prediction of the present or the very near future of the state of the economy. ● Business Cycle: It is composed of concerted cyclical upswings and downswings in the broad measures of economic activity which are output, employment, income, and sales in other words it is a cycle created by the expansionary and recessionary phases clubbed together. ● Recession: It is a macroeconomic term that refers to a slowdown or a massive contraction in economic activities for a long enough period, or it can be said that when a recessionary phase sustains for long enough, it is called a recession. ● Depression: It is a deep and long-lasting period of negative economic growth, with output falling for at least 12 months and GDP falling by over 10% or it can be referred to as a severe and prolonged recession.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ● Why in news?: North Korea has accused IAEA of being a puppet of hostile countries after a new report said North Korea’s nuclear weapons stockpile was breaking international law.

About IAEA: ● Set up as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. ● Reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. ● Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. ● The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. ● Member : 171 . India became a member in 1957 itself. Functions: ● Works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. ● Seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

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Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) ● What is it ?: a proposed agreement between the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and its free trade agreement (FTA) partners. ● Aim: The pact aims to cover trade in goods and services, intellectual property, etc. ● Members: It consists of 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. ● It excludes the USA, which withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2017. ● Negotiations over the RCEP deal began in 2012. ● India was also part of the negotiations but it pulled out in 2019 over concerns that lower tariffs could hurt local producers. ● Under RCEP, parts from any member nation would be treated equally, which might give companies in RCEP countries an incentive to look within the trade region for suppliers.

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement ● Signed on 4 February 2016 in Auckland. ● A proposed trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States ● After the newly elected US President Donald Trump withdrew the US signature from TPP in January 2017, the agreement could not enter into force. ● In March 2018, the 11 countries signed the revised version of the agreement, called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. ● Purpose: TPP agreement consisted of measures to lower both non-tariff and tariff barriers to trade, and establish an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism. ● Many observers have argued the trade deal would have served a geopolitical purpose, namely to reduce the signatories’ dependence on the Chinese trade and bring the signatories closer to the United States.

Global Geoparks - UNESCO ● UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. ● Legal Status: UNESCO Global Geopark is not a legislative designation – though the defining geological heritage sites within a UNESCO Global Geopark must be protected under indigenous, local, regional or national legislation as appropriate. ● Restrictions on activities: UNESCO Global Geopark status does not imply restrictions on any economic activity inside the site where that activity complies with indigenous, local, regional and/or national legislation.

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● Duration: A UNESCO Global Geopark is given this designation for a period of four years after which the functioning and quality of each UNESCO Global Geopark is thoroughly re-examined during a revalidation process. ● List of UNESCO Global Geoparks: While there are 161 UNESCO Global geoparks spread across 44 countries, No Indian site is in the list till now.

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Difference between UNESCO Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites:

➢ Biosphere Reserves focus on the harmonised management of biological and cultural diversity. ➢ World Heritage Sites promote the conservation of natural and cultural sites of outstanding universal value ➢ UNESCO Global Geoparks give international recognition for sites that promote the importance and significance of protecting the Earth’s geodiversity through actively engaging with the local communities. ➢ A World Heritage Site or Biosphere Reserve can apply for the UNESCO Global Geopark status. However, a clear evidence has to be provided on how UNESCO Global Geopark status will add value by being both independently branded and in synergy with the other designations.

UNESCO: ● UNESCO: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ● What is it ? : UNESCO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works for world peace through global cooperation in the fields of education, culture and the sciences. ● Through its programmes, it strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ● founded as UNESCO in 1945, the organisation had its origins in the League of Nations itself. The Constitution of UNESCO came into force in 1946. ● Headquartered in Paris, ● Members: ○ It has 193 Members and 11 Associate Members. India joined UNESCO in 1946. ○ In 2019, the USA and Israel formally quit UNESCO.

BRICS counter-terror strategy ● BRICS has unveiled a counter-terrorism strategy to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the member countries for effectively combating the threat. Overview of the Strategy:

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● The aim: of the strategy is to improve the practical cooperation among security and law- enforcement authorities of the member nations to prevent and combat terrorism, including by sharing timely and accurate information. ● The focus: would be to “suppress” the facilitation of terrorist groups, entities and associated persons by not making available financial and material resources to them. ● The BRICS also resolved to counter “extremist narratives” conducive to terrorism and vowed to take steps to ensure that the Internet and social media platforms are not used for recruitment and radicalisation by terror groups. ● The BRICS high representatives for security shall be entrusted with leading the review of the implementation of this strategy, and the BRICS counter-terrorism working group (CTWG) shall be entrusted with its implementation.

About BRICS ● BRICS group of world’s leading emerging economies, ● Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. ● History: In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. ● The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006. ● Latest Memeber: South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. ● The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. ● During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB). They also signed the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.

Four Indian Cities selected by World Economic Forum ● The World Economic Forum selected 36 cities from 22 countries for pioneering a policy road map for smart cities. ● These smart cities are being developed under the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. ● The four Indian cities selected are Bengaluru, Faridabad, Indore and Hyderabad. ● The selected 36 cities will collaborate with global experts and enhance their city policies in areas ranging from cyber security to services to be provided to physically challenged people. ● Five policies namely better broadband coverage, privacy protection, accountability for cyber security, better accessibility to digital city services for physically disabled and increased openness of city data. ● The other cities selected under the programme are Toronto, London, Moscow, Brasilia, Dubai, Melbourne, etc.

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What is G20 Global Smart City Alliance?

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● The G20 Global Smart City Alliance was established in June 2019 during the Osaka G20 Summit (held in 2019). ● India joined the alliance as a founding partner. ● Main objective: of the alliance is to accelerate best practices, foster greater openness and mitigate potential risks and public trust.

Pioneers of Change Summit, 2020 ● The Pioneers of Change Summit is to be inaugurated by World Economic Forum between November 16, 2020 and November 20, 2020. ● The summit will discuss on sustainable production, digital business, health, infrastructure, financial innovation new work models and frontier technologies. ● The outcomes of the summit will be used to frame the roadmap for smart cities.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ● What is it?: It is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. ● Aim: to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration. ● Members: APEC’s 21 member economies are Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; The Philippines; The Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; Viet Nam. ● India not a member ● Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation mainly includes countries that are bordering the Pacific Ocean. ● Functions: ○ Skill Training: APEC works to help all residents of the Asia-Pacific participate in the growing economy. APEC projects provide digital skills training for rural communities and help indigenous women export their products abroad. ○ Sustainable Management: Recognizing the impacts of climate change, APEC members also implement initiatives to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainable management of forest and marine resources. ○ The forum adapts to allow members to deal with important new challenges to the region’s economic well-being. This includes ensuring disaster resilience, planning for pandemics, and addressing terrorism. Global Bribery Risk Matrix ● Released by: TRACE, an anti-bribery standard setting organisation that measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions. ● Parameters: The score is based on four factors ○ Business interactions with government,

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○ Anti-bribery deterrence and enforcement, ○ Government and civil service transparency and ○ Capacity for civil society oversight, including the role of the media.

Key Highlights ● Lowest Bribery risk: Denmark has topped the list followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand. ● India’s Rank: India has been ranked at 77th in the 2020 index. In 2019, India was at 78th position. ● India has performed better than that of China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. ● Highest Bribery Risk: North Korea, Turkmenistan, South Sudan,Venezuela and Eritrea present the highest commercial bribery risk.

Inter Parliamentary Union( IPU ) ● The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. ● Genesis: Began in 1889 as a small group of parliamentarians, dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue. ● Composition: It has 179 Member Parliaments ,13 Associate Members, and increasing numbers of parliamentarians from all over the world involved in our work. ● Slogan is “For democracy. For everyone.” ● It seeks to promote democratic governance, institutions and values, working with parliaments and parliamentarians to articulate and respond to the needs and aspirations of the people. ● Financed primarily by Members out of public funds. ● Headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol ● concluded in the Andaman Sea close to the Strait of Malacca. ● Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk (an indigenously built Missile Corvette) and Thailand Frigate HTMS Kraburi, along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies participated in the 30th edition. ● Other Military Exercises between India and Thailand: ○ Exercise MAITREE (Army). ○ Exercise SIAM BHARAT (Air Force).

International Maritime Organisation ● The International Maritime Organization is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. ● Headquarters: London, United Kingdom. ● Established in: 1948 (Came into force in 1959; First meeting). ● India had joined it as a member-state in 1959.

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● Primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. ● Governance : IMO is governed by an assembly of members and is financially administered by a council of members elected from the assembly.

G20 Summit ● Summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia. ● The Summit would culminate in the adoption of the Leaders’ Declaration and with Saudi Arabia passing on the Presidency to Italy. ● Theme: “Realising the Opportunities of 21st Century for All”. ● The focus of the G20 Summit was on an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19. ● Indian PM called for a new Global Index for the Post-Corona World that ● New Global Index will be based on 4 pillars of ○ Talent, ○ Technology, ○ Transparency and ○ Trusteeship towards the planet. G20 ● It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union (EU), with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. ● Founded in 1999. ● Aim: To discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability. The G20 has expanded its agenda since 2008. ● It operates as a forum and not as an organization.it does not have any permanent secretariat or management and administrative structure. ● Members of G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and the EU.

One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance ● Launched by the three global organisations : Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO). ● Aim: To harness the leadership and influence of world-renowned figures to catalyze global attention and action to preserve antimicrobial medicines and avert the disastrous consequences of antimicrobial resistance. ● Members: This 20-member group comprises heads of states, current and former ministers of different countries, leaders from the private sector and civil society. ○ Ex-officio members - Heads of FAO, OIE and WHO. ○ It is co-chaired by the prime ministers of Barbados and Bangladesh,respectively. ● Meeting: The group will meet twice a year.

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Functions of the group: ● The group has to: ○ Monitor the global response to antimicrobial resistance. ○ Maintain public momentum. ○ Provide regular reports on the science and evidence related to AMR to the UN member states. ○ Advocate for the inclusion of AMR ‘lens’ in investments on agriculture, health, development, food and feed production. ○ Push for multi-stakeholder engagement on the issue. ●

Antimicrobial resistance(AMR) ● AMR is the resistance acquired by any microorganism (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasite, etc.) against antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintic) that are used to treat infections. ● As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others. ● Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.

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World Organisation for Animal Health(OIE) ● It is an intergovernmental organisation created in 1924 for improving animal health worldwide. ● Established to gather and disseminate information about animal diseases around the world and to create health standards to protect international trade in animals and their products. ● It is also recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization(WTO). ● Membership: 182 member states ● Headquarters: Paris, France. ● The OIE’s highest governing body is the World Assembly of Delegates, which meets at least once a year; each member country has one vote on its resolutions.

Great Barrington Declaration ● It advocates an alternative, risk-based approach to the COVID-19 pandemic that involves "Focused Protection" of those most at risk and seeks to avoid or minimize the societal harm of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. ● The declaration calls for individuals at significantly lower risk of dying from COVID-19 – as well as those at higher risk who so wish – to be allowed to resume their normal lives, working normally at their usual workplaces rather than from home, socializing in bars and restaurants, and gathering at sporting and cultural events.

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● The declaration claims that increased infection of those at lower risk would lead to a build-up of immunity in the population that would eventually also protect those at higher risk from the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies ● Organised by Interpol, Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance ● Initiative by: The Working Group on Cryptocurrencies and Money Laundering established in 2016 by the three organisations. ● Objective : To strengthen knowledge, expertise and best practices for investigations into financial crimes and intelligence on virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. ● Participants: Over 2,000 representatives from 132 countries attended the Conference. ● Representatives from Law enforcement agencies, Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), International organisations and the private sector etc. participated. ● The conference’s agenda included trends and investigations on cryptocurrency related offences, exploring criminal flows and operations in the dark markets, ransomware and sextortion case studies, money laundering involving virtual assets, and the transfer of drug proceeds using cryptocurrencies.

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Interpol ● World’s largest international police organization. ● Established in 1923, ● It is headquartered in Lyon, France ● It enables cross-border police cooperation and supports and assists all organisations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime. ● Objective: to facilitate international police cooperation even where diplomatic relations are not present between certain countries. ● Members: 194 member countries. ● Each of the member countries hosts an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB). This connects their national law enforcement with other countries and with the General Secretariat. ● Structure: According to Interpol’s Constitution, the organization comprises the following administrative departments: ○ General Assembly ○ General Secretariat ○ Executive Committee ○ National Central Bureau

Interpol Notices color code: ● Red Notice: To seek the location/arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition.

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● Green Notice To warn about a person’s criminal activities if that person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety. ● Blue Notice To locate, identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation. ● Yellow Notice To locate a missing person or to identify a person unable to identify himself/herself. ● Black Notice To seek information on unidentified bodies. ● Orange Notice To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing an imminent threat and danger to persons or property. ● Purple Notice To provide information on modus operandi, procedures, objects, devices, or hiding places used by criminals.

Europol ● It is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. ● Main goal is to achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all the EU citizens. ● Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, ● it supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime.

SITMEX-20 ● India, Thailand and Singapore trilateral Naval exercise ● SITMEX is conducted annually. ● Aim: Conducted to enhance mutual interoperability and imbibing best practices between Indian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN). ● Also aims to strengthen mutual confidence and develop common understanding and procedures towards enhancing the overall maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. ● The first edition of SITMEX, hosted by Indian Navy, was conducted off Port Blair in September 2019. ●

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Other Military Exercises between India and Thailand: ● MAITREE (Army) ● SIAM BHARAT (Air Force) ● Indo-Thai CORPAT (Navy), which was conducted recently. Other Military Exercises between India and Singapore: ● Bold Kurukshetra (Army) ● Joint Military Training (Air Force) ● SIMBEX(Navy)

Malaysia hosts APEC Summit ● The APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 was adopted during the Summit.

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● It envisions and open, resilient peaceful Asia Pacific community by 2040. ● The Summit also replaced the 1994 Bogor Goals with post 2020 vision. ● The economies are to achieve the post 2020 vision through three economic drivers such as trade and investment, strong balance secure sustainable and inclusive growth, Innovation and digitalization.

Gulf Cooperation Council ● political and economic alliance of countries in the Arabian Peninsula. ● established in 1981 to foster socioeconomic, security, and cultural cooperation. ● Members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All these member the Persian Gulf Region.

SDG Investor Map for India ● Launched by Invest India and the United Nations Development Programme ● Aim: It aims to help public and private sector stake-holders direct capital towards Investment Opportunity Areas (IOAs) that can contribute to the nationally determined sustainable development needs of India. ● Implementation: ○ It has laid out 18 Investment Opportunity Areas. ○ This investment opportunity areas are in six critical sustainable development goals that were launched by the United Nations. ○ The map will enable the factors that will help India in achieving its sustainable development goals. ○ It will help India understand how it can reduce the SDG financing gap in the country. ● 6 Priority Sectors : including Education, Healthcare, Agriculture and Allied Services, Financial Services, Renewable Energy and Alternatives, and Sustainable Environment.

Invest India: ● It was set up in 2009 as a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. ● It is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India and acts as the first point of reference for investors in India.

Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB) ● The Ayush ministry has collaborated with Invest India, which is a National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency that helps investors looking for investment opportunities and options in India, to create the unit called ‘Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)’. ● This bureau will support the ministry in strategic and policy-making initiatives that shall help pave the way to reach the full potential of the sector and stimulate growth and investment.

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● As a partner in the project, Invest India would collaborate extensively with Ayush ministry to frame the work plan of the bureau and define its short- and long-term targets. ● Invest India is expected to deploy highly trained and expert resources to implement and execute the ministry’s plans.

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SDG INDEX 2020 ● The Sustainable Development Report 2020 presents the SDG Index and Dashboards for all UN member states. ● Prepared by teams of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung. ● The SDG index frames the implementation of 17 SDG goals among UN member states in terms of six broad transformations: (1) Education and skills, (2) health and wellbeing, (3) clean energy and industry, (4) Sustainable land use, (5) Sustainable cities, and (6) Digital technologies. ● Among 193 countries for which the SDG index was prepared, India stands at the 117th position with an overall score of 61.92. China is ranked at 48, Brazil at 53 and Russia at 57. ● In south Asia, Maldives is ranked at 91, Sri Lanka at 94, Nepal at 96 Bangladesh at 109 and Pakistan at 134.

Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs): ● These were launched at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable ● Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. ● It consists of 17 goals and 169 specific targets that are to be achieved by 2030. However, they are not legally binding. ● These goals complete what the Millennium Development Goals (set in 2000 and targeted for the year 2015) could not achieve earlier.

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Sustainable Development ? ● Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. ● Three core elements of sustainable development are economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection ● Sustainable economic growth, achieving sustainable livelihood, living in harmony with nature and appropriate technology are important for sustainable development.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ● The UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life ● established in 1965 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. ● four main focus areas: ○ Poverty Reduction and Achievement of the MDGs ○ Democratic Governance ○ Crisis Prevention and Recovery ○ Environment and Energy for Sustainable Development ● Headquartered in New York City, the UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations. ● UNDP publishes an annual Human Development Report (since 1990) to measure and analyse developmental progress.

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Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) ● Between India and Sri Lanka aims at improvement over the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA). ● The ETCA initiative follows unfruitful negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between two countries ● The agreement seeks to boost cooperation in scientific expertise, technical areas and research amongst institutions between India and Sri Lanka. ● To boost standards of goods and services to compete on global market and improve opportunities for manpower training and human resource development.

Arria Formula ● The Arria Formula is an informal arrangement that allows the Security Council greater flexibility to be briefed about international peace and security issues. ● It has been used frequently and assumed growing importance since it was first implemented in March, 1992.

ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) ● Consistent with the ADMM guiding principles of open and outward looking, the 2nd ADMM in Singapore in 2007 adopted the Concept Paper to establish the ADMM-Plus. ● The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. ● Eight Dialogue Partners are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA (collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries”). ● Agreed five areas of practical cooperation under this mechanism are: ○ Maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. ● In 2013, a new priority area of humanitarian mine action was agreed. ● Why in news?: Vietnam has invited India for ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus) being hosted by Vietnam in December 2020.

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ASEAN ● ASEAN is Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ● Established to promote social and political stability in the post-colonial states of Asia- Pacific regions. ● The motto of ASEAN is One Vision, One Identity, One Community. August 8 is observed as ASEAN Day. ● The member nations Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

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Global Innovation & Technology Alliance ( GITA ) ● What is it?: GITA is a “not–for–profit” Section-8 Public Private Partnership (PPP) company. ● Bodies involved : It is promoted jointly by the Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). ● The Prime Minister’s Council on Trade & Industry had, in 2010,recommended incorporation of a Government’s arm’s length entity under PPP mode to professionally manage the Government’s funds for providing flexibility to industry for undertaking R&D along with global partners. ● The GITA platform encourages industrial investments in innovative technology solutions by ○ Mapping technology gaps, ○ Undertaking expert evaluation of technologies available across the globe, ○ Facilitating techno–strategic collaborative partnerships appropriate for Indian economy, ○ Connecting industrial and institutional partners for synergistic matchmaking and ○ Providing soft funding for technology development / acquisition / deployment.

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Islamic Cooperation countries Or Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ● An international organization founded in 1969 ● Headquarters: Permanent Secretariat is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. ● Members: Consisting of 57 member states. ● It is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. ● The organisation states that it is “the collective voice of the Muslim world” and works to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony “. ● Observer countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Central African Republic; Thailand; Russia and Turkish Cypriot State ● The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. ● Significance of OIC for India: OIC’s growing economic and energy interdependence with India has become important in recent times.

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Defence & Security

Budapest Convention ● Also known as The Council of Europe’s (CoE) Cybercrime Convention ● the sole legally binding international multilateral treaty on cybercrime. ● It coordinates cybercrime investigations between nation-states and criminalizes certain cybercrime conduct. ● It was open for signature in 2001 and came into force in 2004. ● India is not a party to it. ● India recently voted in favour of a Russian-led UN resolution to set up a separate convention.The resolution seeks to set up new cyber norms considered as a counter alternative to the US backed Budapest Accord.

Cybercrimes in India ● According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the number of registered cyber crimes increased by 63.5% in the year 2019 compared to 2018. ● As per Ministry of Home Affairs, only 2.5% of total complaints registered on the portal are converted into FIRs.

National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal ● Launched in 2019, it is a citizen-centric initiative enabling citizens to report cybercrimes online. ● The portal specifically focuses on crimes against women, children, particularly child pornography, child sex abuse material, online content pertaining to rapes/gang rapes, financial crime and social media related crimes like stalking, cyberbullying, etc. ● It will improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate the cases after successful completion by improving coordination amongst the law enforcement agencies of different States, districts and police stations.

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Recent Initiatives to Tackle Cybercrime ➢ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): The I4C will assist in centralising cyber security investigations, prioritise the development of response tools and bring together private companies to contain the menace. ➢ Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 (based on the recommendation of Justice BN Srikrishna Committee) to secure citizens data. ➢ Cyber Swachhta Kendra: The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) is a part of the Government of India's Digital India initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

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➢ Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN): It is an organisation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, with the objective of securing Indian cyberspace. It is the nodal agency which deals with cybersecurity threats like hacking and phishing. ➢ Establishment of National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country. ➢ Formulation of Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism. ➢ the MHA aims to raise a group of “cybercrime volunteers” to flag “unlawful content” on the Internet.

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Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 ● The Bill seeks to provide for the protection of personal data of individuals. ● The Bill governs the processing of personal data by: ○ Government ○ Companies incorporated in India ○ Foreign companies dealing with personal data of individuals in India ● The bill constitutes 3 personal information types: ○ Personal data: Data from which an individual can be identified like name, address etc.. ○ Sensitive personal data (SPD): Some types of personal data like as financial, health, sexual orientation, biometric, genetic, transgender status, caste, religious belief, and more. ○ Critical personal data: Anything that the government at any time can deem critical, such as military or national security data. ● Obligations of data fiduciary: Personal data can be processed only for a specific, clear and lawful purpose. Additionally, all data fiduciaries must undertake certain transparency and accountability measures such as: ○ Implementing security safeguards (such as data encryption and preventing misuse of data), and ○ Instituting Grievance Redressal Mechanisms to address complaints of individuals. They must also institute mechanisms for age verification and parental consent when processing sensitive personal data of children. ○ The 'data fiduciary' may be a service provider who collects, stores and uses data in the course of providing such goods and services. ○ Each company will have a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who will liaison with the DPA for auditing, grievance redressal, recording maintenance and more. ● Rights of the individual ○ Seek correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal data. ○ Have personal data transferred to any other data fiduciary in certain circumstances.

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○ Restrict continuing disclosure of their personal data by a fiduciary, if it is no longer necessary or consent is withdrawn. ● Grounds for processing personal data: The Bill allows the processing of data by fiduciaries only if consent is provided by the individual. However, in certain circumstances, personal data can be processed without consent. These include: ○ If required by the State for providing benefits to the individual, ○ Legal proceedings, ○ To respond to a medical emergency. ● Exemptions ● The central government can exempt any of its agencies from the provisions of the Act: ○ In the interest of the security of the state, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India and friendly relations with foreign states, and ○ For preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence (i.e. arrest without warrant). ● Offences: ○ Processing or transferring personal data in violation of the Bill is punishable with a fine of Rs 15 crore or 4% of the annual turnover of the fiduciary, whichever is higher, and ○ Failure to conduct a data audit is punishable with a fine of five crore rupees or 2% of the annual turnover of the fiduciary, whichever is higher.

Annual Resolution on Counter-Terror- By India ● This resolution was adopted by consensus in the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). ● India’s resolution ‘Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction’ was co-sponsored by more than 75 countries and adopted by consensus without a vote. ● India’s resolution predates the adoption of resolution 1540 by the Security Council. ○ In resolution 1540 of the year 2004, the Security Council decided that all States shall refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery, in particular for terrorist purposes. ● It needs to be noted that the UN has not agreed on a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) yet.

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Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) ● In 1996, with the objective of providing a comprehensible legal framework to counter terrorism, India proposed to the UNGA the adoption of the "Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism” (CCIT).

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● CCIT seeks a universal definition of terrorism, prosecution of terrorists under special laws, making cross-border terrorism an extraditable offence worldwide, among others.

Global Terrorism Index, 2020 ● Institute for Economics and Peace ● Ranks India as 8th in the world on a list of countries most affected by terrorism in 2019

Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) ● Established by UN Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) ● to implement measures intended to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities

Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) ● 2011 + US created the GCTF + an action-oriented platform outside the UN framework to foster effective multilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism

First Committee of the UNGA ● The First Committee (Disarmament and International security) deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime. ● The Committee works in close cooperation with the United Nations Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament. ● It is the only Main Committee of the General Assembly entitled to verbatim records coverage.

BIO-TERRORISM ● Bioterrorism is a planned and deliberate use of pathogenic strains of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, or their toxins to spread life-threatening diseases on a mass scale in order to devastate the population of an area. Bioterrorism agents are classified as categories A, B, and C : ● Category A: High-priority agents that pose a risk to national security because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person, result in high mortality rates. Eg. Anthrax by Bacillus anthracis, botulism by Clostridium botulinum toxin, plague by Yersinia pestis etc. ● Category B: The second highest priority agents include brucellosis (Brucella species), glanders (Burkholderia mallei), melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei), ● psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci) etc. ● Category C: This include emerging pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future. Eg. Emerging infectious diseases such as Nipah virus and Hanta virus etc.

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INS Vagir ● Recently, the fifth Scorpene class submarine of Project-75 named ‘Vagir’ has been launched at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai. ● It is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. ● It is a part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. ● The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. ● It can launch attacks with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. ● It can undertake multifarious types of missions i.e Anti-Surface warfare, Anti-Submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, Mine Laying, Area Surveillance, etc.

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Project-75 ● It is a programme by the Indian Navy that entails building six Scorpene Class attack submarines. ● Scorpene is a conventional powered submarine weighing 1,500 tonnes and can go up to depths of 300m. ● It is given support by the Department of Defence Production (Ministry of Defence) and Indian Navy throughout its various phases of construction. ● The MDL is manufacturing six Scorpene submarines with technology assistance from Naval Group of France under a USD 3.75 bn deal signed in October 2005. ● Other submarines of the ongoing Project-75: ○ Two submarines, Kalvari and Khanderi, have been commissioned into the Indian Navy. ○ The third submarine, Karanj, is in the last phase of rigorous sea trials. ○ The fourth Scorpene, Vela, has commenced its sea trials. ○ The sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is being readied for boot together Border Area Development Programme [BADP] ● Launched by: the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1986-87 as part of a comprehensive approach to Border Management. ● Introduced as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. ● Twin Objective: BADP was started during the Seventh Five Year Plan with the twin objectives of balanced development of sensitive border areas in the Western Region through adequate provision of infrastructural facilities and promotion of a sense of security amongst the local population. ● Funding Pattern: The funding of BADP is Centre 90%, State 10% for 8 North Eastern States and 3 Himalayan states, viz Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand. For other 6 states, 60% is bore by the Centre while 40 % bore by the states. ● Implementation: District Level Committee headed by the District Magistrate is responsible for monitoring of implementation of works under BADP.

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Neighbouring countries of India ● India is located in the southern part of Asia and has a land border of 15,106.7 km and a coastline of 7,516.6 km. ● In terms of area, India is the seventh-largest country in the world. ● Number of Neighbouring Countries: 7

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Important International Borders ● McMahon Line: China and India ● Radcliffe Line: India and Pakistan ● 38th Parallel: South Korea and North Korea ● 49th Parallel: The USA and Canada

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● Durand Line: Pakistan and Afghanistan ● Hindenburg Line: Poland and Germany

Defence Acquisition Procedure of 2020 (DAP 2020) ● The DAP 2020 has came into effect from October 1, 2020. ● Vision: DAP 2020 is in line with the vision of creating Aatma Nirbhar Bharat and ● Aims to empower the domestic industry in India through the Make in India initiative.

Highlights of the new policy: ● Reservations for Indigenous firms: ○ The policy reserves several procurement categories for indigenous firms. ○ DAP 2020 defines an “Indian vendor” as a company that is owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens, with foreign direct investment (FDI) not more than 49 per cent. ● New Buy (Global–Manufacture in India) category: ○ This stipulates indigenisation of at least 50 per cent of the overall contract value of a foreign purchase bought with the intention of subsequently building it in India with technology transfer. ○ Meeting the difficult indigenisation requirement would force the vendor to build the equipment in India, rather than supply most of it ready-built from abroad. ● Greater indigenous content: ○ It promotes greater indigenous content in arms and equipment of the military procures, including equipment manufactured in India under licence. In most acquisition categories, DAP-2020 stipulates 10 per cent higher indigenisation than DPP 2016. ● Measuring indigenous content: ○ Indigenous content will now be calculated on ‘Base Contract Price’, that is Total Contract Price, less taxes and duties. ● Import embargo list: ○ The “import embargo list” of 101 items that the government promulgated last month has been specifically incorporated into DAP 2020. (An embargo is a government order that restricts commerce with a specified country or the exchange of specific goods.) ● Offset liability: ○ The government has decided not to have an offset clause in procurement of defence equipment if the deal is done through inter-government agreement (IGA), government-to-government or an ab initio single vendor ○ The offset clause requires a foreign vendor to invest a part of the contract value in India. Portal for Defence Land Management System ● Developed by : Department of Defence in collaboration with Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) and Armed forces.

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● The Intra-net portal (Restricted communications network) shall digitize all requests of defence land management received by the Department in future. ● The MoD is the biggest landholder in the government, holding 17 lakh acres of land across the country, Army occupies almost 80 per cent of the land ● The portal is expected to bring in greater speed, transparency and efficiency into the Land Management System (LMS) of the Department. ● The portal, along with integration of GIS based tool, will improve decision making process by removing duplication/unnecessary communication between various stakeholder groups involved in the decision-making process. ● It will integrate several mapping tools into the existing “Raksha Bhoomi” software, which was launched with the data updated in 2011.

Raksha Bhoomi ● In 2006 Defence Estates Department has developed Raksha Bhoomi software in collaboration with NIC (National Informatics Centre), Chennai. ● This software records complete defence land data. ● This software can be used to generate area wise, state wise and category wise reports of defence lands throughout the country. ● The present version of Raksha Bhoomi Software is 3.3. updated in 2011.

National Crisis Management Committee(NCMC) ● At the national level, Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) are the key committees involved in the top-level decision-making with respect to Disaster Management (DM). ● Objective: For effective implementation of relief measures in the wake of natural calamities, the Government of India has set up a National Crisis Management Committee. ● A National Crisis Management Committee(NCMC) has been constituted in the Cabinet Secretariat. ● It deals with major crisis which have serious or national ramifications. ● Key functions: ○ Oversee the Command, Control and Coordination of the disaster response. ○ Give direction to the Crisis Management Group (CMG) as deemed necessary. ● Composition: ○ Cabinet Secretary (Chairperson). ○ Secretaries of Ministries / Departments and agencies with specific Disaster management responsibilities.

Varunastra ● Launched by: DRDO ● What is it: Varunastra, the heavy weight torpedo.

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● The torpedo was designed and developed by the BDL, Vishakhapatnam Unit of Indian Navy. Features: ● a ship launched electrically propelled heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo that is capable of targeting quiet submarines. ● It can be deployed in both shallow and deep-water environment. ● Weight of the torpedo is 1500 kilograms. ● Operational range is 40 kilometres. ● The maximum speed of the torpedo is 74 kilometre per hour ● Capable of carrying a war head of 250 kilogram. ● It is powered by Silver oxide zinc battery.

What is a torpedo? ● It is an underwater weapon with an explosive warhead that is designed to detonate when in proximity to the target or on contact with the target.

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Social Issues

Provisions For Platform Workers ● In the Code on Social Security, 2020: platform workers are now eligible for benefits like maternity benefits, life and disability cover, old age protection, provident fund, employment injury benefits, and so on. ● The code universalizes social security coverage to those working in the unorganised sector, such as migrant workers, gig workers and platform workers. ● None of these are secure benefits. ● Platform Work : Platform work means a work arrangement outside of a traditional employer-employee relationship in which organisations or individuals use an online platform to access other organisations or individuals to solve specific problems or to provide specific services or any such other activities which may be notified by the Central Government, in exchange for payment.

Significance of Platform Work: ➢ Platform work promises workers flexibility and ownership over delivery of work. ➢ Important for delivery of essential services as seen during pandemic. ➢ Employment Intensive Sector. ➢ Potential Sector for growth due to fast pace of Urbanisation. ➢ Development of rural areas due to remittances sent by platform workers.

Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme ● Funding: A centrally funded scholarship scheme for students in all states, ● Aim: To help students of minority communities viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists from families with annual income below Rs. 1 lakh. ● Eligibility: Students need to score at least 50% in their class exams. ● Structure of the Scholarship: It is given in two tiers every year to: ○ Students in class 1 to 5: Rs. 1,000 per year. ○ Students of class 6 to 10: Rs. 10,700 if a hosteller or Rs 5,700 if a day scholar.

India, facing ‘severe water risk’ by 2050: ● Report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). ● A hundred cities worldwide, including 30 in India, face the risk of ‘severe water scarcity’ by 2050, ● Global hubs such as: Beijing, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Mecca and Rio de Janeiro. ● Indian Cities such as: Jaipur, Indore, Thane, Srinagar, Rajkot, Bengaluru etc. ● What’s the concern and challenge? JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 204

○ The cities would face a ‘grave water risk’ by 2050 due to a dramatic increase in their population percentage to 51 per cent by 2050, from 17 per cent in 2020. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) ● International non-governmental organization working in the field of the wilderness preservation and reduction of human impact on the environment. ● Founded in 1961. ● Headquartered: Gland, Switzerland. ● Aim : WWF aims to stop degradation of planet’s natural environment and build future in which humans live in harmony with nature. ● The Living Planet report is published every two years by WWF since 1998. ● It is based on the Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation. ● WWF has launched several notable worldwide campaigns, including Earth Hour and Debt-for- Nature Swap , and its current work is organized around these six areas: food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and oceans.

Covid-19 Shri Shakti Challenge ● Six women led startups have won Covid-19 Shri Shakti Challenge organized by MyGov in collaboration with UN WOMEN. ● launched in April 2020 ● To encourage and involve women led startups to come up with innovative solutions that can help in the fight against Covid-19 or solve problems that impact a large number of women. MyGov ● Launched in 2014. ● MyGov is an innovative platform to build a partnership between Citizens and Government with the help of technology for growth and development of India.

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UN Women ● Established in 2010. ● UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. ● A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

Academic Freedom Index (AFI) ● Academic freedom, in general, refers to a scholar's freedom to express ideas without risk of official interference or professional disadvantage.

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● Published by Global Public Policy Institute as a part of a global time-series dataset (1900-2019) in close cooperation with Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen- Nürnberg, Scholars at Risk and the V‑Dem Institute. ● It compares levels of academic freedom worldwide and enhances the understanding of its curtailments. ● The index did not report data for 35 countries - including the United States and Australia. Report Highlights: ● Uruguay and Portugal top the AFI, with scores of 0.971 each, followed closely by Latvia (0.964) and Germany (0.960). ● Countries like Malaysia (0.582), Pakistan (0.554), Brazil (0.466), Somalia (0.436) and Ukraine (0.422) have scored better than India. About India: ● India with a score of 0.352, is closely followed by Saudi Arabia (0.278) and Libya (0.238). ● India has not fared well in components like institutional autonomy, campus integrity, freedom of academic and cultural expression and constitutional protection of academic freedom. ● The AFI has cited the ‘Free to Think: Report of the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project’, to suggest that the political tensions in India may have something to do with declining ‘academic freedom’.

Atal Beemit (Bimit) Vyakti Kalyan Yojana ● Launched by the Employee’s State Insurance (ESI) in 2018. ● Aim: It aims to financially support those who lost their jobs or rendered jobless for whatsoever reasons due to changing employment pattern. Eligibility criteria: ● The payment of relief has been enhanced to 50% of average of wages from earlier 25% of average wages payable upto maximum 90 days of unemployment. ● Instead of the relief becoming payable 90 days after unemployment, it shall become due for payment after 30 days. ● The Insured Person should have been insurable employment for a minimum period of 2 years before his/her unemployment and should have contributed for not les than 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment and minimum 78 days in one of the remaining 3 contribution periods in 02 years prior to unemployment.

Production Linked Incentive ( PLI ) Scheme ● Launched in March 2020 by GoI ● Objective: to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down import bills. ● Aims to provide incentives to the companies on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units. ● Sectors includes : food processing, leather, textiles, battery manufacturing. The pharmaceuticals (and medical devices) and electronics are already under the scheme

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National Agricultural Education Policy ● ICAR has recently launched Rs.1100 crore ambitious National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). ● Funding: World Bank and the Indian Government on a 50:50 basis. ● Objective: The objective of the NAHEP for India is to support participating agricultural universities and ICAR in providing more relevant and higher quality education to Agricultural University students. ● The first National Agricultural Education Policy is set to bring academic credit banks and degree programmes with multiple entry and exit options to the 74 universities focussed on crop sciences, fisheries, veterinary and dairy training and research. ● Though agricultural education is a State subject, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR - Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) is responsible for the quality of education across the country, and expects to continue in a standards-setting role under the new system of higher education regulation proposed by the NEP. ● Agricultural Education Policy to be Aligned with NEP 2020

Academic Credit Banks: ○ These may be a service provider available to a desirable student community. It may facilitate the integration of the campuses and distributed learning systems, by creating student mobility within the inter and intra university system. ○ It may help in seamlessly integrating skills and experiences into a credit based formal system by providing a credit recognition mechanism. ○ It will digitally store academic credits earned from recognised Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and allow for credit redemption in order to be awarded a certificate, diploma or degree. ● Experiential Education: ○ In India, agricultural education is already ahead of its time, and already aligned with the NEP. The NEP wants a shift to four-year undergraduate degrees, and agricultural degrees are already four-year programmes. ○ The NEP mentions experiential education, which has been already mandated in agricultural education since 2016. ○ Experiential education is a teaching philosophy that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute to their communities. ● The Student READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) programme requires all students to undertake a six-month internship, usually in their fourth year, to gain hands-on training, rural awareness, industry experience, research expertise and entrepreneurship skills. ● One major challenge is to ensure that experiential learning is made available to all students if the multiple entry-exit system gets implemented. ○ The option of multiple entry and exit provides students with the opportunity to earn a diploma or an advanced diploma, while they are given the choice to re-

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enter as and when they are able to resume their studies and earn a full college degree.

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Indian Council of Agricultural Research( ICAR ) ● Established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. headquartered at New Delhi. ● It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. ● Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president

Rabha Tribe ● They are indigenous Mongoloid community of Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. ● The language/dialect spoken by the Rabha people is mostly Rabha as well as Assamese. ● In Meghalaya, Rabhas are mostly found in Garo Hills districts.

National Education Day 11th Nov ● Observed every year on 11th November, since 2008 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Constitutional Provisions: ● Part IV of Indian Constitution, Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), has a provision for state-funded as well as equitable and accessible education. ● The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List. ● The education policies by the Central government provides a broad direction and state governments are expected to follow it. However, it is not mandatory, for instance Tamil Nadu does not follow the three-language formula prescribed by the first education policy in 1968. ● The 86th Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A. Related Laws: ● Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009 aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years and enforces education as a Fundamental Right. ● It also mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society where disadvantaged groups Government Initiatives:

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● Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools) and use of IT in education are a result of the NEP of 1986. ● Study in India, Stay in India is an extension of the Study in India programme, a flagship project of the Government of India, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce and Industry in April 2018.

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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad ● He served as the first Minister of Education of independent India. ● An Indian scholar and independence activist, he was one of the senior leaders of the Indian National Congress. ● He organized a national education system during his tenure as education minister. ● His focus was on free primary education to all. ● Azad was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his contributions towards the field of education. ● He was also a pioneer for the establishing of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the foundation of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Role in the Indian National Movement: ● In 1912, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad started a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal which played an important role in forging Hindu-Muslim unity after the bad blood created between the two communities in the aftermath of Morley-Minto reforms. The government regarded Al- Hilal as propagator of secessionist views and banned it in 1914. ● Maulana Abul Kalam Azad supported the Non-Cooperation Movement started by Gandhiji and entered Indian National Congress in 1920. ● In 1923, he was elected as the president of Indian National Congress. He again became the president of Congress in 1940.

Contribution to strengthening secularism: ● Secularism for Azad rested on the principle of wahadat-e-din on the one hand and disregarding the intermediaries the priestly class and institutionalization of religion. ● He captured the true essence of secularism and placed the highest stakes in education and development of the human mind and man’s consciousness about himself. ● As the education minister Azad desired that religious education be imparted along with secular education as the serious business of religious education cannot be left to the respective religious leadership of the communities as they tend to take supremacist and communal stand. ● Azad desired that common values of all the religions should be taught to the students so that they do not develop prejudices against each other.

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Interstate Migrant Policy Index ( IMPEX ) ● Developed by è It has been developed by Mumbai-based research non-profit India Migration Now (IMN). ● Purpose: It ranks and compares all the states of India on a total value of 100 based on their migrant integration policies. ● Parameters : The index examines eight policy areas–child rights, education, health and sanitation, housing, identity and registration, labour market, social benefits and political inclusion. ● Kerala has topped the index with a score of 57 followed by Goa (51) and Rajasthan (51). ● The seven states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala attract 51% of India’s inter-state migrants.

Khelo India centre of excellence ● an initiative of the Sports Ministry to upgrade the existing sports infrastructure in all states and Union Territories. ● Aim of creating these Khelo India excellence centres is to create a strong and healthy sports ecosystem in the country. ● Each Khelo India centre of excellence will provide world-class training in a specific sport and will become the main training facility of the particular sport across the country. Elite players of a particular sport will provide training at these centres. ● Each Khelo-India centre will be given support for 14 Olympic sports and each state and UT will be provided financial support for maximum three sports.

Global Centre for Traditional Medicine ● Who?: World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that it will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India. ● Why?: The Traditional Medicine Centre will be aimed at strengthening the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine. ● The new centre will support WHO's efforts to implement the WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023.

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WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023 ● Developed in response to the World Health Assembly resolution on Traditional Medicine (TM). ● The goals of the strategy are to support Member States in: ○ Harnessing the potential contribution of TM to health, wellness and people- centred health care; ●

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○ Promoting the safe and effective use of TM by regulating, researching and integrating TM products, practitioners and practice into health systems, where appropriate. ● The strategy aims to support Member States in developing proactive policies and implementing action plans that will strengthen the role TM plays in keeping populations healthy. ● Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being.

Sarna Code for Tribals ● Jharkhand government has passed a resolution to send the Centre a letter to recognise Sarna religion and include it as a separate code in the Census of 2021. ● The resolution will seek a special column for the followers of Sarna religion in Census 2021 ● The Sarna religion is completely based on naturalistic worshipping. ● The holy grail of the faith is “Jal (water), Jungle (forest), Zameen (land)” and its followers pray to the trees and hills while believing in protecting the forest areas. ● It is believed that 50 lakhs tribal in the entire country put their religion as ‘Sarna’ in the 2011 census. ● Other tribes in Jharkhand: Birhors, Bhumij, Gonds, Kharia, Mundas, Santhals, Savar, Bedia, Ho, Kharwar, Lohra, Mahli, Parhaiya, Santal, Kol, Banjara.

Ministry of Textiles launches “Local4Diwali” campaign ● to promote the Indian handicraft which is the cultural heritage of the country and also a source of livelihood for many. ● As per the available data, the handicrafts sector is a major sector of women empowerment as almost 55% of the workers and artisans are women. ● The main aim of the #Local4Diwali campaign is to urge people to buy and gift Indian handicraft products on this Diwali. ● The basic aim of the campaign is to give a boost to Indian handicrafts and artisans. Report on “Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System” ● Published by: the Registrar-General of India. ● It throws light on Sex Ratios of various states in the country. ○ Sex ratio at birth is the number of females born per 1,000 males. ○ Child Sex Ratio is defined as number of girls per 1000 of boys between 0-6 years of age. Key Findings: ● State with best Sex Ratio: Arunachal Pradesh (1084).

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● Worst: Manipur (757). ● Arunachal Pradesh is followed by Nagaland (965) Mizoram (964), Kerala (963) and Karnataka (957). ● Delhi recorded a sex ratio of 929, Haryana 914 and Jammu and Kashmir 952. ● The number of registered births increased to 2.33 crore in 2018 from 2.21 crore registered births the previous year. ● The level of registration of births has increased to 89.3% in 2018 from 81.3% in 2009.

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Some Government Initiative for Girls:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme ● Launched in January, 2015. ● Aim: to promoting gender equality and the significance of educating girls. ● Objective: The Scheme is targeted at improving the Child Sex Ratio through multi sectoral interventions including prevention of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls’ education and her holistic empowerment. ● It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana ● Launched on 22 January 2015 ● Small savings instrument for the girl child ● Account can be opened in a post office or a public sector bank ● Who is eligible? ○ Girl child only ○ Child should be Indian citizen ○ Age limit: On the date of opening the account, the child’s age should 10 years or younger ● Who can Invest? ○ Parent, or Legal Guardian of the eligible Girl child ● Investment limit: ○ In 1 year, minimum Rs 1000/- needs to be invested., thereafter in multiples Of 100/- ○ Maximum of Rs 1,50,000/- can be invested ○ Deposits can be made in lump-sum or spread out manner ○ No limit on number of deposits either in a month or in a financial year ● Tenure: ○ Deposit needs to made until 14 years from opening of account ○ Deposit under scheme will mature 21 year after opening of the account ● Withdrawal: ○ No Premature Withdrawal is permitted

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○ However, maximum up to 50% of deposit amount can be withdrawn for marriage or higher education of girl child, once she reaches 18 years of age

Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) ● Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is a maternity benefit rechristened from erstwhile Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY). The IGMSY was launched in 2010. ● The scheme is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women. ● It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices. ● They receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments on fulfilling the respective conditionality, early registration of pregnancy, ante-natal check-up and registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family. ● The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000. ● Exceptions: The maternity benefits are available to all Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) except those in regular employment with the Central Government or State Government or Public Sector Undertaking or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force. ● Funding: The scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which cost sharing ratio between the Centre and the States & UTs with Legislature is 60:40 while for North- Eastern States & three Himalayan States; it is 90:10. It is 100% Central assistance for Union Territories without Legislature.

Integrated Child Protection Scheme ● A centrally sponsored scheme, implemented by Union Ministry of Women and Child Development 2009-10. ● Objective: Creating a safe and secure environment for children in conflict with law as well as children in need of care and protection. ● Significance: It is an umbrella scheme bringing several existing child protection programmes under one roof, with improved norms. ● Purpose: ICPS, therefore, would institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures, enhance capacities at all levels, create database and knowledge base for child protection services, strengthen child protection at family and community level, ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels. ● The scheme would set up a child protection data management system to formulate and implement effective intervention strategies and monitor their outcomes. ● Regular evaluation of the programmes and structures would be conducted and course correction would be undertaken.

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The Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 ● The Act passed in 2006 grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities. ● The Act recognizes and vest the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations. ● The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community Forest Rights (CFR) or both that may be given to FDST and OTFD. Rights under the Act: ● Title rights – i.e. ownership – to land that is being farmed by tribals or forest dwellers as on 13 December 2005, subject to a maximum of 4 hectares; ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family as on that date, meaning that no new lands are granted. ● Use rights – to minor forest produce (also including ownership), to grazing areas, to pastoralist routes, etc. ● Relief and development rights – to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement;[15] and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection. ● Forest management rights – to protect forests and wildlife. Eligibility criteria: ● According to Section 2(c) of Forest Rights Act (FRA), to qualify as Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribe (FDST) and be eligible for recognition of rights under FRA, three conditions must be satisfied by the applicant/s, who could be “members or community”: ○ Must be a Scheduled Tribe in the area where the right is claimed; and ○ Primarily resided in forest or forests land prior to 13-12-2005; and ○ Depend on the forest or forests land for bonafide livelihood needs. ● And to qualify as Other Traditional Forest Dweller (OTFD) and be eligible for recognition of rights under FRA, two conditions need to be fulfilled: ○ Primarily resided in forest or forests land for three generations (75 years) prior to 13-12-2005. ○ Depend on the forest or forests land for bonafide livelihood needs. Critical Wildlife Habitats: ● They are defined under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, as the “areas of national parks and sanctuaries where it has been specifically and clearly established, case by case, on the basis of scientific and objective criteria, that such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purposes of wildlife conservation…” Khelo India ● Launched in 2018. Under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports ● Purpose: to improve the sports culture in India. ● The programme was launched after consolidating Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan, Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme and the National Sports Talent Search System programme.

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● Financial Assistance: Under the Khelo India scheme, financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to 8 lakh rupees is being provided. ● Eligibility for Khelo India Programme ○ Candidates below the age of 17 can participate in the under-17 category. ○ Candidates below the age of 21 can participate in the under-21 category. ● Funding Pattern: Central Sector Scheme (Scheme implemented by the Central Government machinery and 100% funding by the Union Government). ● Why in news: Government of India is to incentivize 500 private academies under Khelo India Brus Tribe: ● Location: The Brus, also referred to as the Reangs, are spread across the northeastern states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram. ● In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state. ● Religion: While many Brus of Assam and Tripura are Hindu, the Brus of Mizoram converted to Christianity over the years. ● Issues: Clashes in 1995 with the majority Mizos led to the demand for the removal of the Brus, perceived to be non-indigenous, from Mizoram’s electoral rolls. ● This led to an armed movement by a Bru outfit, which killed a Mizo forest official in October 1997. ● The retaliatory ethnic violence saw more than 40,000 Brus fleeing to adjoining Tripura where they took shelter in six relief camps.

Report on TB: Step Up for TB 2020 ● Report by the Stop TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) ● India has the highest TB burden in the world. In 2018, 2.15 million TB cases were reported, which is 16% more than in 2017. ● The report presents data on 37 high-burden countries, including India (representing 77% of the global estimated TB incident cases), assessing the extent to which national policies align with international best practices based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and the latest scientific research. ● 4 key areas: This is the 4th edition of this report, which focuses on countries’ policies and practices related to 4 key areas of national TB programmes (NTPs): ○ Diagnosis, ○ Treatment (including models of care), ○ Prevention, and ○ Medicines procurement policies. Key Findings: ● There are barriers to policy adoption and implementation across the surveyed countries. ● The critical medical innovations are reaching very few people who urgently need them.

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● The report emphasised that oral treatment regimens for people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) must be prioritised over older, toxic drugs that have to be injected and cause serious side effects. ● Nearly 1 in 3 people with TB disease is still not diagnosed and notified. ● Almost 2 in 3 countries surveyed still do not include in their policies urinary TB lipoarabinomannan (TB LAM) testing for people living with HIV. ● TB LAM is the only rapid point-of-care TB test available, and there is more than enough evidence of its benefits as a lifesaving point-of-care test. About India: ● India was criticised for not scaling up the new Disease Resistant (DR)-TB drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid, needed even more during Covid-19. ○ Pretomanid is the third new drug developed for the treatment. ● Until March 2020, less than 10% of India’s MDR-TB patients who were eligible for Bedaquiline had received it. This is alarming, since India is home to a quarter of the world’s DR-TB patients.

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India’s Initiative to Fight TB:

National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme ● It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme ● Implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission with resource sharing between the State Governments and the Central Government. ● The goal of the program: is to achieve a TB-free India with zero deaths, disease and poverty due to tuberculosis.

Nikshay system: ● The country is achieving near-complete on-line notification of TB patients through the NIKSHAY system. ● Nikshay is an information management system that acts like a one-stop solution for managing patients’ information and monitor program activity and performance all over the country. ● Developed and maintained by the Central TB Division (CTD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and the World Health Organization Country office for India.

Saksham Pravah Project: ● Project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences funded by the Global Fund since 2008 to support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its fight against HIV and TB. ● The project provides home-based counselling to MDR-TB patients and caregivers. ● Patients are encouraged to share fears and talk about the discrimination, depression, and familial discord they face

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● One of the strategy of Saksham Pravaah to increase adherence to treatment is addressing Treatment Interruptions (more than 2 days of missed doses) at the earliest..

Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): ● Government of India introduced Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) as monthly financial assistance towards nutrition for TB patients in 2018. It aims to- ● To determine the number (proportion) of TB patients who received the benefits ● To explore the challenges encountered by the health care providers in delivering the NPY through DBT ● To explore the ways the incentives were utilised by the patients.

TB Harega Desh Jeetega: ● Launched in 2019, it is a nationwide campaign to spread disease awareness about TB and encourage people with TB symptoms to seek medical attention.

WHO End TB Strategy 2016 - 2035 ● Adopted in 2014 ● This is twenty year strategy ● Aims to: end the global TB epidemic and is unsurprisingly called the End TB Strategy. ● What is it ?: Ending TB is defined as an incidence rate of less than 10 people per 100,000 population per year. ○ The incidence rate is the number of new cases of active TB disease in a population in a particular time period. ● The main targets: in the End TB Strategy are: ○ To reduce TB deaths by 95% ○ To cut new cases of TB by 90% between 2015 and 2035 ○ To ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic expenses due to TB.

National Population Register (NPR) ● It is a Register of usual residents of the country. ● It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. ● It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. ● Objective: To create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. ● The NPR was first collected in 2010 and then updated in 2015. ● Who is a usual resident? ○ A usual resident is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.

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Recommendations for Health Sector ● Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) has made recommendations about the need for reprioritising public spending to fix the creaky health infrastructure exposed by the coronavirus pandemic. ● FFC has submitted its report to the President advising how to share tax revenues with states for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-26 period. ● The FFC report also makes recommendations about performance incentives to states in several reform areas. Recommendation: ● FFC has mooted a greater role for public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ramp up the health infrastructure and scale up public spending on health from 0.95% of GDP to 2.5% by 2024. ○ While public outlays should focus on primary health care at the panchayat and municipality level, private players should be relied on for specialty healthcare. ○ The total spending of around 0.95% of GDP is not adequate in relation to the commitments under the National Health Policy of 2017. ○ The 2017 Policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a time-bound manner. ● There is a need for a more holistic approach to encouraging PPP in the health sector. There should be a constant working relationship and the government should not resort to the private sector in the case of an emergency only. ○ The trust deficit that exists between industry and government needs to be bridged. ● District hospitals can become great grounds for training paramedics, creating health and employment multipliers. ● FFC Chairman emphasised on the need to create a cadre for medical officers as mentioned in the All India Services Act 1951. ○ All-India health service is needed to address issues within the health sector. ● There is a need for substantial improvements in the working conditions for doctors in government hospitals, many of whom are hired on a contract basis by States.

Global Prevention Coalition (GPC) for HIV Prevention : ● Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed the Ministerial meeting ● Hosted by: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on behalf of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC). ● What is Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC)? ● It is a global coalition of United Nations Member States, donors, civil society organizations which was established in the year 2017 to support global efforts to accelerate HIV prevention. ● Membership: It includes the 25 highest HIV burden countries, UNAIDS Cosponsors, donors, civil society and private sector organizations.

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● Goal: To strengthen and sustain political commitment for primary prevention by setting a common agenda among key policy-makers, funders and programme implementers.

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What is HIV-AIDS ? ● Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a lentivirus, which is a sub-classification of the retrovirus. It causes the HIV infection which over time leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). ● AIDS is a deadly condition in which the affected person’s immune system fails, leading to the spread of life-threatening infections and cancers in his body. ● HIV demolishes a particular type of WBC (White Blood Cells) and the T-helper cells. This virus also makes copies of itself inside these cells. ● T-helper cells are also known as CD4 cells. ● The average survival period for a person affected with HIV without treatment is nine to eleven years, subject to the subtype of HIV ● HIV infection can occur by the transference of blood, breast milk, vaginal fluid, semen, or pre-ejaculate.

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India Against AIDS

HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017: ● It aims to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS ● It bans discrimination against the HIV/AIDS-infected individuals ● As per the Act, it is the duty of the establishments to safeguard the rights of the patients affected by HIV/AIDS and provide for informed consent and confidentiality concerning the treatment.

National Strategic Plan: ● Launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, its aim is to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030. ● In 2016, India, in the UN’s High-Level Meeting on AIDS, had committed towards the goal of “ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030”. ● This strategy may pave the way for the achievement of the 90-90-90 strategy.

Mission SAMPARK: ● It aims to trace those who are left to follow up. These individuals are brought under the ART services. ● This community-based testing will enable the identification of all those who are HIV positive.

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90-90-90 strategy: ● It is a UNAIDS programme that has the following targets: ○ 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status ○ 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive a sustained antiretroviral therapy ○ 90% of all people receiving ART will have viral suppression

Project Sunrise: ● A new initiative called 'Project Sunrise' was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2016, ● to tackle the rising HIV prevalence in north-eastern states in India, especially among people injecting drugs.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria(GFATM) ● It was created in 2002 as a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases. ● Aim: To raise, manage and invest the world’s money to end epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. ● Headquarters è Geneva, Switzerland.

Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge ● Launched by: the Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry. ● The initiative was launched on the occasion of World Toilet Day (19th November). ● It is a challenge for 243 cities to switch over to mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks by April 30, 2021. ● Aims to: ensure that no life of any sewer or septic tank cleaner is ever lost again owing to the issue of ‘hazardous’ cleaning. ● The initiative is in line with the core of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). ● Focus of the challenge : The Challenge will focus extensively on creating citizen awareness on this critical issue along with infrastructure creation for mechanized cleaning and capacity building of the workforce.

National Digital Health Mission ● The mission of the new digital health programme is to provide affordable medical health facilities to the citizens. ● The scheme will come under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. ● What is it ?: It is a digital health ecosystem under which every Indian citizen will now have unique health IDs, digitised health records with identifiers for doctors and health facilities. ● Six key building blocks — HealthID, DigiDoctor, Health Facility Registry, Personal Health Records, e-Pharmacy and Telemedicine. ● The National Health Authority has been given the mandate to design, build, roll-out and implement the mission in the country.

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● The core building blocks of the mission is that the health ID, DigiDoctor and Health Facility Registry shall be owned, operated and maintained by the Government of India. ● Private stakeholders will have an equal opportunity to integrate and create their own products for the market. The core activities and verifications, however, remain with the government. ● Under the Mission, every Indian will get a Health ID card that will store all medical details of the person including prescriptions, treatment, diagnostic reports and discharge summaries. ● The citizens will be able to give their doctors and health providers one-time access to this data during visits to the hospital for consultation.

Study on ‘status of radicalisation’ ● The Union Home Ministry has, for the first time, approved a research study on “Status of radicalisation in India”. ● The study will attempt to legally define “radicalisation” and suggest amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). ● The study will be religion-neutral and will go by facts and the reported cases. ● Need for: Radicalisation is yet to be defined legally, this leads to misuse by the police. It should be defined and necessary amendments made to the UAPA. Radicalization

● Radicalization is a process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that reject or undermine the status quo or contemporary ideas and expressions of the nation. ● The outcomes of radicalization are shaped by the ideas of the society at large; for example, radicalism can originate from a broad social consensus against progressive changes in society or from a broad desire for change in society. ● Radicalization can be both violent and nonviolent, although most academic literature focuses on radicalization into violent extremism (RVE).

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Types of Radicalisation: ● Right-Wing Extremism: It is characterized by the violent defence of a racial, ethnic or pseudo-national identity, and is also associated with radical hostility towards state authorities, minorities, immigrants and/or left-wing political groups. E.g.: Ku Klux clan in USA. ● Politico-Religious Extremism: It results from political interpretation of religion and the defence, by violent means, of a religious identity perceived to be under attack (via international conflicts, foreign policy, social debates, etc.). Any religion may spawn this type of violent radicalization. E.g.: ISIS using Islam as an alibi. ● Left-Wing Extremism: It focuses primarily on anti-capitalist demands and calls for the transformation of political systems considered responsible for producing social

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inequalities, and that may ultimately employ violent means to further its cause. It includes anarchist, Maoist, Trotskyist and Marxist-Leninist groups that use violence to advocate for their cause. E.g.: Naxalism in India. ● Internet Radicalization: Internet is used by terrorist as an effective tool for radicalisation and terror financing. Terror groups use the internet to advocate the use of violence to further a religious, ideological or political cause. Factors behind Radicalisation: ● Individual socio-psychological factors, which include grievances and emotions such as alienation and exclusion, anger and frustration and a strong sense of injustice. ● Socio-economic factors, which include social exclusion, marginalisation and discrimination (real or perceived), limited education or employment etc. ● Political factors, which include weak and non-participatory political systems lacking good governance and regard for civil society. ● Social media, which provide connectivity, virtual participation and an echo-chamber for like-minded extremist views, accelerates the process of radicalisation.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban ● Launched by: the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) ● Main objective: To help rural people Below the Poverty Line in construction of dwelling units. ● The beneficiaries of the scheme are chosen from Socio-Economic Caste Census, 2011. It includes urban poor living in slums as well. ○ Beneficiaries include Economically weaker section (EWS), low-income groups (LIGs) and Middle Income Groups (MIGs). The annual income cap is up to Rs 3 lakh for EWS, Rs 3-6 lakh for LIG and Rs 6 + -18 lakhs for MIG. ○ The beneficiary family should not own a pucca house either in his/her name or in the name of any member of his/her family in any part of India to be eligible to receive central assistance under the mission. ● Implemented between 2015-22. ● It will provide assistance to Urban Local Bodies who are the nodal agencies in implementing the scheme ● The government is providing an interest subsidy of 6.5% on housing loans which can be availed by beneficiaries for 15 years from start of loan date. ● The government will grant Rs 1 lakh to all the beneficiaries of the scheme. In addition, Rs 1.5 lakh will be given to all eligible urban poor who want to construct their houses in urban areas or plan to go for renovation in their existing houses.

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Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) ● Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development. ● The erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas yojana (IAY) has been restructured into Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G) from 01.04.2016.

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● PMAY-G aims at providing a pucca house, with basic amenities, to all houseless householder and those households living in kutcha and dilapidated house, by 2022. ● Target: Construction of 2.95 crore houses with all basic amenities by the year 2022. ● Cost sharing: Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90: 10 for North Eastern and Himalayan States.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) ● the statutory body and the national-level council for technical education in the country. ● set up in November 1945 as a national-level apex advisory body. ● Purpose: was to conduct a survey on the facilities available for technical education and to promote development in the country in a coordinated and integrated manner.

National Nutrition Mission ● NITI Aayog has released “Accelerating Progress On Nutrition In India: What Will It Take”, the third progress report on the National Nutrition Mission or the Poshan Abhiyaan. Key highlights: ● On stunting, India's targets are conservative as compared to the global target defined by the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is a prevalence rate of 5% of stunting as opposed to India’s goal of reducing stunting levels to 13.3% by 2022. ● The target of reducing prevalence levels of anaemia among pregnant women from 50.3% in 2016 to 34.4% in 2022 and among adolescent girls from 52.9% in 2016 to 39.66%, is also considered to be conservative as compared to the WHA's target of halving prevalence levels. ● In the wake of the pandemic, experts warn that deepening poverty and hunger may delay achieving the goals defined under the Mission.

About National Nutrition Mission Or Poshan Abhiyan ● Aim: To improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. ● Poshan implies ‘Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition’. ● Launch: It was launched by PM on International Women’s Day on 8th March, 2018 from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. ● Implemented By: Ministry of Women and Child Development ● Funding: 50% of the total budget comes from the World Bank or other multilateral development banks and the rest of the 50% is through Centre’s budgetary support. ● Targets: ○ To reduce stunting, underweight, and low birth weight, each by 2% per year; and anaemia among young children, adolescents and women each by 3% per year until 2022. ○ The minimum target to reduce stunting is 2% every year, but the mission will strive to bring it down from 38.4% in 2016 to 25% by 2022. ● Basic Terms related to Malnutrition:

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○ Stunting- low height for age, ○ Wasting- low weight compared to height, ○ Underweight- low weight for age, ○ Malnutrition includes both under and over nutrition and ○ Anaemia-Lack of Healthy Red blood cells. South Asian University ● South Asian University (SAU) is an international university. ● Established by the eight member nations of South Asian Association for Regional Co- operation (SAARC) viz. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. ● Established in è 2010. ● Located in : India. ● Degrees and Certificates awarded by the SAU are at par with the respective Degrees and Certificates awarded by the National Universities/Institutions. ● SAU attracts students from all member nations and its degrees are recognised by all the eight SAARC countries.

Sanitation and Hygiene Fund ● Launched by: The United Nations ● Aim: To provide accelerated funding to countries with the heaviest burden of diseases stemming from lack of sanitation services and have the least ability to respond to them. ● It also aims to raise $2 billion over the next five years for these countries. ● The objectives of the Fund are: ○ Expanding household sanitation ○ Ensuring menstrual health and hygiene ○ Providing sanitation and hygiene in schools and healthcare facilities ○ Supporting innovative sanitation solutions. ● Host: The fund is hosted by the UN Office for Project Services, which provides technical advice and project implementation to the UN and its partners.

National Portal for Transgender Persons ● Launched by: the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment ● It has been launched in consonance with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020. ● I-Card: It would help transgenders in digitally applying for a certificate and identity card from anywhere in the country, thus preventing any physical interaction with officials. ● It will help them track the status of application, rejection, grievance redressal, etc. which will ensure transparency in the process. ● The issuing authorities are also under strict timelines to process the applications and issue certificates and I-cards without any necessary delays.

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Garima Greh ‘Shelter Home for Transgender Persons’ ● It has been opened in Vadodara, Gujarat and will be run in association with the Lakshya Trust, a community-based organisation entirely run by the transgenders. ● The Scheme of ‘Shelter Home for Transgender Persons’ includes shelter facility, food, clothing, recreational facilities, skill development opportunities, yoga, physical fitness, library facilities, legal support, technical advise for gender transition and surgeries, capacity building of trans-friendly organizations, employment, etc. ● The scheme will rehabilitate a minimum of 25 transgender persons in each homes identified by the Ministry. ● 10 cities have been identified to set up the 13 Shelter Homes. ● The cities include Vadodara, New Delhi, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Kolkata, Manipur, Chennai, Raipur and Mumbai.

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Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 Background: ● In 2014, the Supreme Court recognised a transgender person’s right to self-identify their gender as male, female or the third gender. ● Further, the Court directed central and state governments to grant legal recognition to transgender persons, address social stigma and discrimination faced by them, and provide social welfare schemes for them. ● The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was passed on November 26, 2019. ● Definition: It defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. It includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra. ● Certificate of Identity: A transgender may make an application to the District Magistrate a certificate of identity indicating gender as “Transgender”

National Council for Transgender Persons ● By Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has constituted under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. ● Aim: To mainstream the transgender community’s concerns, focusing on livelihood issues as well as to raise awareness about the trans community, so that transpersons are accepted within families and in the larger society. ● To ensure that transgender welfare boards are set up in all States and essential needs of the transgender community, like housing, food, healthcare and education are met. Composition: ● Chairperson Union Minister of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. ● Representatives from five states or Union Territories (one each from the north, south, east, west and northeast regions), on a rotational basis.

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● Five members of the trangender community (one each from the north, south, east, west and northeast regions). ● The tenure of the community members shall be three years. ● Representatives from 10 central departments. ● The council will have joint secretary-level members from the Ministries of Health, Home, Minority Affairs, Education, Rural Development, Labour and Law. ● In addition, there will be a member from the Department of Pensions (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions), NITI Aayog, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women.

Gender disparity in science ● Gender inequality is the social process by which men and women are not treated as equals. The treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology, or cultural norms. Some of these distinctions are empirically-grounded while others appear to be socially constructed. ● The world over, women scientists have been in the forefront of ground-breaking research across the world. ● But despite their remarkable discoveries, globally they still represent just 29 % of researchers. In India the numbers have been even less. ● Globally only 3% of the Nobel Prizes for science have been awarded to women, and only 11% of senior research roles are held by women. ● According to a 2018 fact sheet prepared by UNESCO on women in science, just 28.8% of researchers are women. In India, this stands at 13.9%.

The Athena SWAN Charter ● The Athena SWAN Charter is an evaluation and accreditation programme in the UK enhancing gender equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). Participating research organisations and academic institutions are required to analyse data on gender equity and develop action plans for improvement. The programme recognises such efforts with bronze, silver or gold accreditation. ● Institutions that sign up commit to addressing unequal gender representation; tackling the gender pay gap; removing the obstacles faced by women in career development and progression; discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people; gender balance of committees and zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment.

Govt Initiatives to bridge gender inequity in Science ● Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: ○ Vigyan Jyoti Scheme is launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST). ○ It is intended to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.

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○ It also offers exposure for girl students from the rural background to help to plan their journey from school to a job of their choice in the field of science. ● GATI Scheme: ○ The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) will develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing Gender Equality in STEM. National Organ Donation Day 27th Nov ● National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) ○ Provides financial grants for establishing ROTTOs, SOTTOs, developing new and upgrading existing retrieval and transplant centres. ● Organ Donation Institutional Set up: ○ The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisations (ROTTO) at regional level and the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTO) at state level. ● State of Organ Donation in India: ○ India ranked third in the world as per WHO Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT) in terms of organ donation.

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Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 ● Transplantation of Human Organs Act was passed in 1994 and subsequently amended in 2011 thus bringing in form Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011. ● It provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage. ● It also regulates the transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs. ● Main Provisions ○ The act recognises brain death identified as a form of the death process and defines criteria for brain death. ○ It provides regulatory and advisory bodies for monitoring transplantation activity. ○ It also provides for maintenance of a registry of donors and recipients of human organs and tissues.

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History Art & Culture

Dairy Production in Indus Valley Civilisation ● a study by Indian and Canadian archaeologists has found that dairy products were being produced by the Harappans as far back as 2500 BCE ● Where it found?: found at the archaeological site of Kotada Bhadli, in Gujarat. ● Traces seen in cooking vessels indicate the presence of milk, which may have been boiled for consumption. There are also remains of a perforated vessel, which indicates processing of milk into different forms. ● Pots are porous and absorb liquid from food. This helps the pots to preserve the molecules of food such as fats and proteins. ● Most of the cattle and water-buffalo died at an older age, suggesting they could have been raised for milk, whereas the majority of goat/sheep died when they were young, indicating they could have been used for meat.

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Indus Valley Civilization ➢ The history of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as Harappan Civilization. ➢ Flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia, in contemporary Pakistan and Western India. ➢ Phases of IVC: ○ The Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE, ○ the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE, and ○ the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE. ➢ The year 2020 also marks 100 years of discovery of Indus Valley Civilisation. ➢ Home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. ➢ In the 1920s, ruins of the two old cities, viz. Mohenjodaro and Harappa were unearthed. ➢ In 1924, John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery of a new civilisation in the Indus valley to the world.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ● First Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. ● Headed various Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India, namely: ○ Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights. ○ Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas. ○ Provincial Constitution Committee.

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● Integrated the farmer’s cause in Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) with the national freedom movement. ● Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a Leader’. ● Known as the “Iron Man of India” for playing an important role in unification and integration of Indian princely states into the Indian federation and for convincing princely states to align with the Indian Union. ● National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) is celebrated on 31st October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The Miyas of Assam, and their char-chapori culture ● The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam ● They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’, often in a derogatory manner. ● The community migrated in several waves — starting with the British ● annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 ● Bangladesh Liberation War. ● A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone riverbanks.

Avadhanam ● ‘Avadhanam’ is an exciting literary performance that involves solving tricky literary posers, improvising poems and tests a person’s capability of performing such multiple tasks simultaneously. ● It originated as a Sanskrit literary process and is revived by poets in Telugu and Kannada in modern times. ● It involves the partial improvisation of poems using specific themes, forms, or words.

Kartarpur Corridor ● Link : The Kartarpur corridor connects the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district Punjab, India. ● The agreement facilitates visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims who would only need a permit to cross over to Pakistan. ● The corridor was built in 2019 to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism. ● According to historians, the first Sikh Guru (Guru Nanak Dev) had arrived in Kartarpur between 1520 and 1522, and spent the last 18 years of his life there.

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Warli Art ● Warli painting is one of the oldest forms of Indian folk art and has its origins in the Warli region of Maharashtra. ● Its roots can be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D. ● These paintings are distinctive with their vivid contrast expressions. ● These paintings are mainly dominated by basic geometric shapes like circles,triangles and squares. ● These geometric shapes stand as a symbol of natural elements in our environment. ● For example, the circles represent the sun and moon, the triangles represent the mountains and the squares are considered as the central motifs (!धान%वचार) of the painting. ● People and animals are represented by two inverted triangles joined together, where the upper triangle is the torso and the lower triangle is the pelvis. ● The central theme of the paintings are scenes portraying hunting, fishing, farming, festival and dances, trees and animals are used to surround the central theme. ● Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses.

Warli Tribe ● They are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in the Mountainous as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas. ● They speak an unwritten Varli language which belongs to the southern zone of the Indo- Aryan languages.

NEOLITHIC ERA ● The time span of the Neolithic Age in India was around 7,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. ● The Neolithic Age was preceded by Mesolithic Age (9,000 B.C. to 4,000 B.C.) and succeeded by Chalcolithic Age (c.2100 to 700 B.C.). ● The major crops grown were ragi, horse gram, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley. ● The people of this age domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats. They resided in pits near a lake side and had hunting and fishing economy. ● The people used microlithic blades in addition to tools made of polished stones as well as bones. ● Pottery first appeared in this age and included grey ware and black burnished ware. ● Some of the important Neolithic settlements are ○ Mehrgarh (located in Baluchistan, Pakistan), ○ Burzahom (Kashmir), ○ Gufkral (Kashmir), ○ Chirand (Bihar), and ○ Utnur (Andhra Pradesh)

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Important Court Scholars ● Kalidasa --- Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) ● Banabhatta --- Harshavardhana ● Alberuni --- Mohammed Ghazni ● Amir Khusru --- Alauddin Khilji ● Todarmal ,Tansen,Birbal, and Mansingh -- Akbar ● Abul Fazal -- Akbar ● AshvaGhosha --- Kanishka ● Amara Simha --- Chandragupta II ● Chand Bardai---Prithviraj Chauhan ● Revikirti --- Pulikeshin II ● Dhanwantari --- Chandragupta II ● Harisen --- Samudra Gupta ● Tenali Rama --- Krishnadeva Raya

Anglo Maratha Wars ➢ First Anglo Maratha war (1775-82) It ended by the treaty of Salbai. ➢ Second Anglo-Maratha War was from 1803 to 1805. The treaty of Bassein was signed between the last Peshwa Baji RaoII and the English in 1802. ○ The second Maratha War was ended by the treaty of Rajghat, 1806. ➢ The third Anglo Maratha war was from 1817- 1818. Thus by the end of third Maratha war the Maratha power disappeared and the English created the State of Sathara.

Swang ● It is a popular theatre form of Punjab and Haryana. ● It is mainly a musical drama sung through verses. ● Ektara, Harmonium, Sarangi, Dholak, and Kharta are the instruments used in it. ● Rohtak and Haathras are the two important style in this theatre form. #Target_shots Addition

6 main elements of Theatre are listed below ● Plot ● Character ● Thought ● Diction ● Music ● Spectacle

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Theatre forms of India Bhand Pather ● It is a traditional theatre form of Kashmir. ● It consists of unique combinations of dance, drama, and acting. ● Surnai, Nagara, and dhol are the instruments used in this theatre form. ● It is mainly performed by the farming community, reflecting their ideas and way of living.

Bhavai ● It is a traditional theatre form of Gujarat and Rajasthan. ● Kutch and Kathiawar are the main centres of this theatre form. ● It is a synthesis of devotional and romantic sentiments. ● It consists of dance to narrate series of small plays known as Vesha or Swanga. ● It is accompanied by semi-classical music. ● Bhungal, tabla, pakhaawaj, rabaah, sarangi, manjeera etc.

Nautanki ● Nautanki is popular in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an offshoot of Swang. ● It is mentioned in Abu Fazl's Ain-e-Akbari. ● The theme is based on historical, social and folk tales, delivered through dance and music. ● Kanpur, Lucknow, and Hathras are the most popular centres of this theatre form. ● Dialogues are delivered in a lyrical fashion accompanied by drum beats called Nagara.

Rasleela ● It is a theatre form popular in Uttar Pradesh. ● It depicts the legends of Lord Krishna. ● In this theatre form, dialogues are in pros combined with songs and scenes from the pranks of Krishna.

Konark Sun Temple ➢ It was built middle of 13th century, by King Narasimhadeva I of Ganga dynasty. ➢ Temple is representation of sun god Surya's chariot with 24 wheels. ➢ It is UNESCO world heritage site. ➢ It is also known as 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark color. ➢ Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has taken up the Complete Solarisation of Konark sun temple and Konark town in Odisha to develop it as ‘Surya Nagri’.

BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE ➢ Brihadeeswarar Temple or Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Rajrajeshwaram temple at Thanjavur is the world’s first complete “granite” temple. ➢ It was built by Rajraja Chola-I and is a part of UNESCO’s world Heritage sites.

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➢ It was dedicated by lord Shiva to Rajraja Chola I, when he triumphed Ilam (Sri Lanka) Island. ➢ The Vimana or the temple tower (known as Raja Gopuram) is one of the tallest buildings of its kind. ➢ The Nandi is carved out of a single rock. ➢ Other important Chola temples include: Vijayalaya Cholisvara Temple, Thanjore; Koranganatha Temple, Srinivasanallur; Muvarkovil, Pudukkottai; Tiruvalisvaram temple, Tiruneveli and Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikondacholapuram.

Elements of India in UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity ● Kutiyattam (Sanskrit Theatre of Kerala) ● Traditional Vedic Chanting ● Ramlila ● Ramman (Religious festival of Uttarakhand) ● Chhau Dance (West Bengal) ● Mudiyettu (Ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala) ● Kalbelia (Folk dance of Rajasthan) ● Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir ● Sankirtana (ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur) ● Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab ● Nawrouz ● Yoga ● Kumbh Mela

Birsa Munda ● Bisra Munda was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter hailing from the Munda tribe. ● He was a spearhead behind the Millenarian movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belt in the 19th century under the British colonisation. ● He is also known as ‘Dharti Abba’ or the Earth Father. ● Birsait: Birsa wanted to reform the tribal society and so, he urged them to let go of beliefs in witchcraft and instead, stressed on the importance of prayer, staying away from alcohol, having faith in God and observing a code of conduct. Based on these, he started the faith of ‘Birsait’. Achievements: ● Bisra started a movement called ‘Ulgulan’, or ‘The Great Tumult’. ● His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to a big hit against the British government in the form of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act being passed in 1908. ● The act restricted the passing on of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.

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● Munda used traditional symbols and language to rouse people, urging them to destroy “Ravana” (dikus/outsiders and the Europeans) and establish a kingdom under his leadership. Statue of Peace unveiled in Rajasthan ● To mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj. ● The 151-inch tall statue has been made from Ashtadhatu ie 8 metals, with copper being the major constituent.

About Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj: ● The saint, who lived during 1870-1954, led an austere life, working selflessly and dedicatedly to spread the message of Lord Mahavira. ● He also worked relentlessly for the welfare of the masses, spread of education and eradication of social evils, ● Wrote inspiring literature (poetry, essays, devotional hymns and stavans) and gave active support to the freedom movement and the cause of the swadeshi.

Thotlakonda Buddhist Monastery ● Location: situated on a hill near Bheemunipatnam about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. ● Influence of ancient Kalinga ● It is 2000 years old monastic complex with remnants of stupas, chaitya grihas and viharas atop ● Stupas: These are Buddhist commemorative monument usually housing sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other saintly persons. ● Chaityas: A Chaitya was a rectangular prayer hall within a stupa placed in the centre, the purpose was prayer. ● Viharas: Viharas were the residences of the monks.

Tungabhadra Pushkaralu ● The Tungabhadra Pushkaralu is a 12-day festival held in honour of the Tungabhadra river. ● It is celebrated when Jupiter enters Capricorn (Makar rashi). ● Its significance is very high as the once in 12-year event is considered auspicious and a dip in the holy river is believed to get rid of one’s sins. ● Pushkaralu or Pushkaram is a religious festival dedicated to the worship of 12 major rivers that flow across the country. Laxmi Devi Temple: Hoysala ● Why in news?: a Hoysala-era idol of Goddess Kali of the Lakshmi Devi Temple at Doddagaddavalli, Karnataka has been found damaged. ● Built by: the Hoysalas in the year 1114 CE during the rule of king Vishnuvardhana. ● Building material : Chloritic schist, more commonly known as soapstone.

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● The temple does not stand on a jagati (platform), a feature which became popular in later Hoysala temples. ● Chatuskuta construction (4 shrine and tower) The towers are in Kadamba nagara style. ● The mantapa is open and square. The reason for the square plan is the presence of shrines on all four sides of the mantapa. ● There is a separate fifth shrine of Bhairava, an avatar of Lord Shiva. ● The main deity is Goddess Lakshmi whereas all Hoysala temples are dedicated to either Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and in some cases to Jains. ● An archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monument and is also among the monuments proposed for the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hoysala Temple Architecture ● It is the building style developed under the rule of the Hoysalas and is mostly concentrated in southern Karnataka. ● Hybrid or vesara as their unique style seems neither completely dravida nor nagara, but somewhere in between. ● Distinguishable feature: from other medieval temples by their highly original star-like ground-plans and a profusion of decorative carvings. ● Other features: The temples, instead of consisting of a simple inner chamber with its pillared hall, contain multiple shrines grouped around a central pillared hall and laid out in the shape of an intricately-designed star. ● The plan of these temples starts looking like a star, and is thus known as a stellate-plan

Hindu temple discovered in Pakistan ● Temple of God Vishnu , Believed to have been constructed 1,300 years ago, ● Discovered by Pakistani and Italian archaeological experts ● Location: at a mountain in Swat district of northwest Pakistan. ● The Hindu Shahis or Kabul Shahis (850–1026 CE) was a Hindu dynasty that ruled the Kabul Valley (eastern Afghanistan), Gandhara (modern-day Pakistan), and present-day northwestern India. ● During their excavation, the archaeologists also found traces of cantonment and watchtowers near the temple site. ● The experts also found a water tank near the temple site which they believed used by the Hindus for bathing before worship. ● That Swat district is home to thousand-year-old archaeology sites and the traces of the Hindu Shahi period have been found for the first time in the area.

India-International Cherry Blossom Festival of Shillong ● Why in news?: festival has been cancelled due to covid-19. ● Organised by the Government of Meghalaya every year. ● The festival hosts live music, stalls showcasing the cuisine, beauty pageants, etc

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● Cherry blossom festival is a national festival of Michigan. It is celebrated in Japan as well. ● The top three producers of cherry are Turkey, USA and Iran. ● Cherry in India was introduced from Europe before India’s independence. ● In India, cherry is commercially cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir where the hail storm problem is not encountered.

Lachit Borphukan ● He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom. ● Known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take over Ahom kingdom. ● The battle of Saraighat was fought on the banks of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati. ● The National Defence Academy (NDA), ever since 1999 has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal.

Lachit Diwas ● On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan. ● The National Defence Academy (NDA), ever since 1999 has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal.

Battle of Saraighat ● The battle of Saraighat was a naval engagement fought on the Brahmaputra River near Saraighat in 1671 ● Fought between the Mughal Empire and the Ahom Kingdom ● Though the Ahom army was weaker than that of the Mughals, they defeated the Mughal by their brilliant use of the terrain, psychological warfare, Guerrilla warfare and military intelligence. ● The battle was the last major engagement in which the Mughals attempted to extend their empire into Assam. ● During Mughal invasion, the Ahom soldiers lost their hope of winning the battle. It was Lachit’s call to the soldiers that made them fight till their last breath

Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur ● The day is also celebrated as Shaheedi Divas every year. He is called “Hind di Chaadar” with love and respect. About Guru Tegh Bahadur ● He was the ninth of the ten gurus of Sikhism. ● Born in Amritsar in 1621. ● Around 150 hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur has been included in Guru Granth Sahib. ● Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib mark the places of cremation and execution of his body.

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Constitution day Or Samvidhan Divas ● Celebrated every year on November 26 to mark the day on which the Constitution of India was adopted. ● Adoption of the Constitution took place on November 26, 1949, it came into effect on January 26, 1950.

Mallakhamb ● One of the few games that is played against gravity. ● The name derives from the pole used by wrestlers for practising their skills. ● Mallakhamb has developed an identity that is separate from wrestling or kushti. ● The word malla means a wrestler or an athlete in Sanskrit and Khamb or kham means a pole. Therefore, Mallakhamb has come to be known as wrestling against a pole. ● There are two other Mallakhamb styles such as ‘rope mallakhamb’ and ‘hanging mallakhamb’.

Booker Prize ● The Booker Prize is a leading literary award in the English speaking world, which has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over 50 years. ● It is awarded annually to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. ● The Booker Prize of the year 2020 was won by Douglas Stuart for his debut novel “Shuggie Bain” ● In 1997, Arundati Roy of India won the Booker Prize for her Novel “The God of Small Things”. ● The Booker Prize carries 50,000 pounds of cash money.

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Geography .

Typhoon Goni ➢ The Philippines is used to powerful storms - it is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons a year. ➢ Goni - known as Rolly in the Philippines - is the most powerful storm to hit the country since Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people in 2013. ➢ Typhoon Goni is the world’s strongest Typhoon in 2020. ➢ Another storm, Atsani, is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean as it approaches the Philippines.

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Basics Concept ➢ Typhoon is a regionally specific name for a strong "tropical cyclone". ➢ Tropical cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. ➢ The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale: Hurricanes are categorized on the Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which rates them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on wind speed. ➢ Typhoons are given many names in different regions of the world: ➢ Typhoons: tropical cyclones are known as Typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean. ➢ Hurricanes: In the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. ➢ Tornados: In the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA. ➢ Willy-willies: In north-western Australia and ➢ Tropical Cyclones: In the Indian Ocean Region. ➢ Naming of Typhoons: The Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Tokyo - Typhoon Centre assigns a tropical cyclone a name from the five lists. The name ‘Goni’ is contributed by South Korea.

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Difference between Tropical & Temperate cyclon

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Why did cyclones give October a miss? ● October to December period is among the favourable months for the development of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. ● This year, however, October passed without witnessing a cyclonic storm. ● Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean ( the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea ) are bi- modal in nature, that is, they occur during two seasons— April to June (pre-monsoon) and October to December (post-monsoon). Reason: ● Ocean disturbances enter the Bay of Bengal from the South China sea side and head towards the Indian coast. This year, however, there was no system which intensified to form a cyclone. ● Another reason is the weak La Nina conditions along the equatorial Pacific Ocean. ● There was also the influence of Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO). MJO is kind of an eastward-moving cyclic weather event along the tropics that influences rainfall, winds, sea surface temperatures and cloud cover. They have a 30 to 60-day cycle. ● Also, in November, the vertical wind shear created due to significant wind speed difference observed between higher and lower atmospheric level prevented the low- pressure systems and depression from strengthening into a cyclone.

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The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) ● MJO is a moving band of rain clouds that travels around the globe spanning 12,000– 20,000 km across the tropical oceans.

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● According to the recent study, MJO, in its journey, interacts with surface waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean, the largest pool of warm water in the globe, and due to this the lifecycle of the MJO gets affected. ● The MJO clouds on average are spending only 15 days, instead of 19, over the Indian Ocean. Over the west Pacific, it increased by five days (from an average 16 days to 23 days). ● This change in the residence time of MJO clouds that has altered the weather patterns across the globe. ● The changes in MJO behaviour have increased the rainfall over northern Australia, west Pacific, Amazon basin, southwest Africa and southeast Asia. ● This has also brought a decline in rainfall over central Pacific, along the west and east coast of U.S. (e.g., California), north India, east Africa and the Yangtze basin in China. ● The frequent California fires, droughts in Africa and East Asian floods and cyclones in the Bay of Bengal may be linked to these changes in global weather.

Cold Wave ● A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 degrees Celsius (C) less than normal for two consecutive days. ● For coastal stations, the threshold value of minimum temperature of 10 degree Celsius is rarely reached. However, the local people feel discomfort due to the wind chill factor which reduces the minimum temperature by a few degrees depending upon the wind speed. ● A wind chill factor is a measure of the cooling effect of the wind on the temperature of the air. ● India’s Core Cold Wave Zone: India’s ‘core cold wave zone’ covers Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana. ● In 2019, Delhi and adjoining areas in the north had experienced its coldest winter of the century. Reasons for the Fall in Minimum Temperature ● Absence of cloud cover in the region: Clouds trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation and radiate it back downward, warming the ground. ● Snowfall in the upper Himalayas that has blown cold winds towards the region. ● Subsidence of cold air over the region: Subsidence is the downward movement of cold and dry air closer to the surface.

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Heat Waves ● Defenation: The World Meteorological Organization defines a heatwave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average maximum temperature by five degrees Celsius.

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● If the maximum temperature of the affected region continues to be more than 45° C consecutively for two days, it will be declared a heatwave affected area. ● Heatwave is also called a “silent disaster” About India: ● In India, heat waves typically occur between March and June, and on rare occasions, in July. ● The heat wave has been observed due to dry northwesterly winds prevailing over northwest and central India. ● Heatwaves frequently occur in Northern India, especially in the Gangetic-belt regions. ● Many parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra have also observed increase in temperatures above 42°C, triggering heatwave conditions.

National Monsoon Mission ( NMM ) ● Launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2012. ● Vision: To improve the forecasting skills by setting up a state-of-the-art dynamic prediction system for monsoon rainfall different time scales. ● NMM builds a working partnership between the academic and research and development (R&D) organisations, both national and international. ● Its augmentation with the HPC facilities has helped the country in achieving a paradigm shift in weather and climate modelling for operational weather forecasts. Lates evaluation of NMM : ● By National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) ● The study spanned across 173 rain-fed districts in 16 states which appropriately represented agro-climatic zones, rain-fed areas, coverage of major crops, and incidence of extreme weather events in the country. It was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). ● The total annual economic benefits to agricultural households, farmers and livestock owners taken together, has been calculated at Rs. 13,331 crore and the incremental benefits over the next five years are estimated to be about Rs. 48,056 crore. ● 94% of farmers were able to avoid losses and increase income because of services provided through NMM.

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About Coupled Forecast Model (CFS) ● The American model called “Climate Forecast System” (CFS) is developed by National Centres for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), USA. ● CFS is a coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system that combines data from ocean, atmosphere and land for providing long range forecasting (seasonal prediction of Indian Monsoon).

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Earthquake Concentrations in Dharchula Region ● Recently, scientists at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) have unearthed large concentrations of micro and moderate magnitude earthquakes in the Dharchula region and adjoining areas of Kumaon Himalaya. ● WIHG is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

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Earthquake ● An earthquake in simple words is the shaking of the earth. It is a natural event which is caused due to release of energy, which generates seismic waves that travel in all directions. ● Hypocenter Or seismic focus: The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter ● Epicenter: the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.

Types of Earthquakes ● Based on reasons behind their origins: ○ Fault Zones Earthquake. ○ Tectonic Earthquake. ○ Volcanic Earthquake. ○ Human Induced Earthquakes. ● Based on the depth of focus: ○ Shallow Earthquakes (0-70 km deep) ○ Intermediate Earthquakes (70-300 deep) ○ Deep Earthquakes (300-700 km deep). ● Measurement of Earthquakes: ○ Seismometers detects seismic waves below the instrument and records them as a series of zig-zags. ○ Scientists can determine the time, location and intensity of an earthquake from the information recorded by a seismometer. This record also provides information about the rocks the seismic waves traveled through. ● The earthquake events are scaled either according to the magnitude or intensity of the shock. ○ The magnitude scale is known as the Richter scale. The magnitude relates to the energy released during the quake. The magnitude is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10. ○ The intensity scale is named after Mercalli, an Italian seismologist. The intensity scale takes into account the visible damage caused by the event. The range of intensity scale is from 1-12.

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Earthquakes in India ● India is one of the highly earthquake affected countries because of the presence of tectonically active young fold mountains, Himalayas. ● India has been divided into four seismic zones (II, III, IV, and V) based on scientific inputs relating to seismicity, earthquakes occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region.

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National Seismic Programme ● Launched in 2016 ● Purpose: to trace hydrocarbon resources such as oil and natural gas. ● Aims to undertake fresh appraisal of sedimentary basin in the country. ● The National Seismic Programme will conduct high resolution seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation survey.

What is Seismic Survey? ● Seismic survey is a low impact method that gathers information about the location and characteristics of geological structures. ● During the survey, acoustic sound signals are transmitted to the earth surface. ● Different geographical layers reflect the sound differently. JOIN Us : https://targetupsc.in/ 8830115524 246

● Based on the returning sound waves received and recorded by microphones, availability of oil and gas is determined.

Cyclone ‘Nivar’ ● Nivar is the third name to be used from the new list of names for North Indian Ocean Cyclones, released in 2020. It was suggested by Iran.

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How are Cyclones named? ● The names for tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are suggested by Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen as per the formula agreed by World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in its 27th session in 2000 ● Each country provides 13 names. ● In the latest list, India had proposed: ○ Gati (speed), Tej (speed), Marasu (musical instrument in Tamil), Aag (fire) and Neer (water), among others, for the new list. ● The names of the next few cyclones adopted by member countries in April 2020 are as follows: ● Burevi (Maldives), Tauktae (Myanmar), Yaas (Oman), and Gulab (Pakistan). ● These are among the 169 names suggested by the 13 countries.

What is La Nina? ● La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean surface waters. ● Together, the El Niño and La Niña phenomena are termed as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). ● These are large-scale ocean phenomena which inflence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. ● They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally. ● Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.

What is the Northeast monsoon? ● After the complete withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon from the country takes place by mid-October, the wind pattern rapidly changes from the south-westerly to the north- easterly direction. ● Occurs during October to December, and is a small-scale monsoon compared to South- West Monsoon. ● It is confined to the Southern peninsula.

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● Region cover: The rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon is important for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, north interior Karnataka, Mahe and Lakshadweep. ● Some South Asian countries such as Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, too, record rainfall during October to December.

But how is La Niña linked with the Northeast monsoon? ● While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest monsoon, it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon. ● During La Niña years, the synoptic systems — low pressure or cyclones — formed in the Bay of Bengal remain significantly to the north of their normal position. ● Besides, instead of moving westwards, these systems recurve. As they lie to the north of their normal position, not much rainfall occurs over southern regions like Tamil Nadu.

Inter Tropical Convective Zone (ITCZ) ● The current position of the ITCZ has also contributed to the poor rainfall during the ongoing monsoon season. ● The ITCZ is a low-pressure belt, whose northward and southward movements along the equator determine the precipitation in the tropics. ● Currently, the ITCZ is located to the north of its normal position.

A Trophic State Index ● Its a standard used to determine the nutritional state of a water body i.e the quantity of biologically useful nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen etc dissolved in a water body. ● The most commonly used trophic indices is the Carlson’s index, whereby the trophic state of a water body is described as the total weight of biomass contained in it. ● In this regard, a water body can be classified as Oligotrophic, Eutrophic, Mesotrophic or Hypereutrophic.

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Oligotrophic Lake ● An Oligotrophic lake or water body is a one with relatively low productivity, as a result of low nutrient content. ● These lakes have low algal production and consequently, often have very clear waters. ● The waters of such lakes are of high-drinking quality. ● This lakes or water bodies support aquatic species that require well-oxygenated, cold waters such as lake trout, char and whitefish

Eutrophic Lake ● Eutrophic lakes or water body is one with relatively high levels of biological productivity. ● Eutrophic lakes are very fertile from all the nutrients carried into the lake from the surrounding landscape.

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● Due to high contents of nutrients especially nitrogen and phosphorus these water bodies support a large number of plants and algae. Algal blooms occur very frequently

Mesotrophic lake ● Lakes with an intermediate level of productivity are called mesotrophic lakes. ● These lakes have medium-level nutrients and are usually clear water with submerged aquatic plants.

Hypereutrophic: ● These lakes suffer from problems arising due to excessive plant and algal growth due to a high supply of growth nutrients. ● These lakes have little transparency due to the dense overgrowth of algae or aquatic flora. ● These lakes usually have visibility limited to lower than 3 feet ● The overgrowth of algae often suffocates the fauna below the water depths and this might create dead zones beneath the water surface.

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Places in news .

Gilgit-Baltistan ● Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India. ● India has strongly rejected Pakistan's move to grant provisional provincial status to Gilgit - Baltistan. ● Location: It is a chunk of high-altitude territory located on the north western corner of the Union Territory of Ladakh. ● Importance: It is located strategically as it borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. ● History: The region was a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but has been under Pakistan’s control since 4th November, 1947, following the invasion of Kashmir by tribal militias and the Pakistan army. ● India moved to the United Nations Security Council to raise the issue of Pakistan’s invasion on 1st January 1948. ● The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for Pakistan to withdraw from all of Jammu and Kashmir and then India had to reduce its forces to the minimum level following which a plebiscite would be held to ascertain people’s wishes.

Farzad-B Gas Field ● It is located in Persian Gulf (Iran) and the contract for exploration of the field was signed in 2002 by Indian consortium comprising Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) Videsh, Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India.

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Puerto Rico ● Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking island located in the Caribbean Sea. ● Since its discovery by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, Puerto Rico was a part of the Spanish Empire for over 4 centuries until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States. ● In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship, but the island itself was never made a full state, and continues to remain a “US territory”, along with Guam, North Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands.

Blue Belt Programme ● The programme protects the overseas territories of the country. ● It aims to achieve sustainable management of their marine environment. ● It was launched in 2017. ● It includes British Antarctic Territories and British Indian Ocean Territories as well. However, in accordance to Antarctic treaty, the claims over the region has been suspended

Pangda village ● China has established a village 2 km within Bhutan’s territory named Pangda Village. ● It is a new border village built by China. ● The village is located on territory disputed by China and Bhutan. ● The area is east of the India-Bhutan-China trijunction on the Doklam plateau, the site of a 72- day stand-off in 2017. ● Bhutan’s Stand: It has officially denied the presence of any Chinese village in its territory. ● India’s Stand: India sees it as an attempt by China to unilaterally push the trijunction further. ● China’s Stand: According to China’s maps, the village is within China’s territory.

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Doklam or Donglang in Chinese: ● It is an area spread over less than a 100 sq km comprising a plateau and a valley at the trijunction between India, Bhutan and China. ● It is surrounded by the Chumbi Valley of Tibet, Bhutan’s Ha Valley and Sikkim.

Volcano: Mount Ili Lewotolok ● Why in News? Erupted recently. ● Location: It is a volcano located in eastern Indonesia erupts. ● The 5,423-meter (17,790-foot) mountain is one of the three currently erupting in Indonesia along with Merapi on Java Island and Sinabung on Sumatra Island.

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